Encore
by Ninja School Dropout
Summary: Mashall. A mech who came to be under strange circumstances, but he couldn't care less about that. He wants to find his place. That's all he wants. He wants to find the one place he belongs in the Autobots Armed Forces.
1. I'm Gone

**A/N: A request from Autobot Trapjaw! The O.C's Marshall, and Trapjaw belong to her! Whoot! **

* * *

Trapjaw worked silently on the bot in front of her. Sunstreaker got his arm ripped of in some odd chain of events. Apparently, he was trying to rip Sideswipe's off, but obviously that didn't end too well. "You know, Sunstreaker, when you spar, no actual damage is supposed to be inflicted?"

"Shut up." Sunstreaker growled.

Trapjaw stopped working. "Is this how you treat a kind medic who is helping you?"

"Just fix me!"

Trapjaw put her welder on the berth and turned away. "No."

"No?" Sunstreaker glared. "What do you mean 'No'?"

"I mean I'm not fixing you until you apologize and treat me with respect!"

The med bay doors opened, and Trapjaw glanced over to whoever was interrupting her. She sighed as Ratchet walked in. "He's yours! I have a meeting with Optimus!"

Ratchet frowned. "Excuse me? I thought you wanted me to run some tests?"

"Meeting. Optimus. Now. Me." Trapjaw smirked as she ducked, and a wrench hit the wall behind her. "Bye!" She quickly transformed into her beast mode, a White wolf, and sprinted from the med bay.

* * *

The Pure white femme sat on the ground in her bipedal mode. Her helm leaned against the wall, and her optics were offline. She heard the footsteps approach, but she ignored them, knowing exactly who they were.

"Trapjaw? What are you doing out here? You should be in the Med bay or some other place where you usually work!"

Trapjaw smirked at her bonded's comment. "Well, Hot Rod, if you must know, I do have days off, and I don't always work."

Hot Rod frowned. "I knew that! I was just saying."

"I got a mission this morning. I leave tomorrow. I was just thinking. You know, the thing most of us do?" Trapjaw onlined her optics just in time to see the offended face her bonded pulled off so well.

"I think!"

"I know you do. It's just you usually think of useless stuff."

"Har Har!" Hot Rod crossed his arms and looked away. After a second he peeked over to Trapjaw. "What kind of mission?"

Trapjaw leaned her helm back again, and sighed. "It's a secret."

Hot Rod frowned. "Yeah? Even if I put on my sexy face?"

"Yep, but if I get back, we can play doctor." Trapjaw purred from her place on the ground.

Hot Rod smirked. "Yeah. You think we can have a second Wildfire?"

Trapjaw laughed. "Oh Roddy, if we ever have another sparkling, you're the carrier!"

"What?" Hot Rod glared. "No way! Never! Nu-uh! You'll have to pull my spark out before that happens!"

"I do have some ratchets with me."

Hot Rod backed up. "I think now would be a good time for me to run."

Trapjaw laughed as Hot Rod sprinted down the hall. Her smile slowly faded. The mission wasn't going to be fun. It wasn't going to be easy, and most likely, she wouldn't come back.

* * *

Trapjaw sighed as she reached the launch pad with her half of the medical supplies. Ratchet had the other half, and was none too shy to announce that he was too old for scrap like that. Trapjaw glanced down at the ground as another wave of paranoia hit her.

She had been having that feeling frequently since the day before. She always wanted to look behind, and make sure there wasn't a gun or something pointed at her. She finally understood how Red Alert felt like with his extreme onsets of paranoia. Not fun at all.

"Trapjaw!" Hot Rod waved from the other side of the launch pad. An orange mech stood beside him grimacing.

Trapjaw smiled as she walked over to the two. "What's with the face, wildfire?"

"He's so embarrassing! He's been singing 'Trapjaw! Trapjaw! I love you, and can't wait to play doctor!' Make him stop."

Trapjaw glared at Hot Rod. "Seriously?"

"What?" Hot Rod shrugged. "I can't wait. I might just become a patient."

"And I'll let Ratchet deal with you!" Trapjaw let out a giggle. "Idiot."

Hot Rod shrugged. "Sometimes, I can't help it."

Trapjaw reached into her subspace. She pulled out a data pad, and smiled. "I wrote it last night." She handed it over to Wildfire. "Only read it if I don't come back! If you read it and I do come back, it'll be really embarrassing."

Hot Rod ripped the data pad from Wildfire's servo. "Don't worry! I won't read it ever, cause I know you'll come back!"

Trapjaw frowned. "What if I don't Hot Rod? You have to be ready for stuff like that! You can't just go around always making jokes and stuff!"

Hot Rod frowned. "I know." He reached around Trapjaw and gave her a hug. "I'll bawl if you don't come back. You wanna know why? It's cause I love you!"

Trapjaw reached around Hot Rod's waist. "I love you, too."

Hot Rod was quickly pulled away. A big black mech glared down at him. Hot Rod backed up. "Sire's here!"

"Don't call me that." Ironhide grunted. He turned to Trapjaw. "Be careful. I'm not going to be there this time, but I'll frag up anybody who messes with you, got it. Make mental notes of all the slagging cons who tried!"

Trapjaw laughed. "Don't worry, Sire. I'm sure everything will be fine!"

Ironhide snorted. "Be careful, alright. No con is going to slag up my creation and not answer to me about it."

"Alright." Trapjaw laughed. "Aren't you supposed to be on monitor duty?"

Ironhide frowned. "I am. I was just on my way. Don't nag me."

Trapjaw giggled as Ironhide stomped out of the room, and Hot Rod reattched himself to his femme.

Wildfire moved his Sire away almost like he was a sheet of paper. He reached down and gave his carrier a hug. "I will not let Sire open the data pad unless we must."

Trapjaw hugged her creation back. "Thank you, Wil."

Wildfire nodded as he stepped back. "I think it's time for you to go." He motioned to a femme waving her down.

Trapjaw laughed. "Yep. I'll miss you guys!"

* * *

Trapjaw leaned back in her place inside Skyfire. She sighed as the back of her helm tapped on the wall of the hold. The bots around her were chatting, and happy, but she just didn't feel that way. She felt off. Something was wrong. She just couldn't tell what.

Trapjaw glanced over to Ratchet who had a heated glare on Sideswipe. She didn't feel the usual amusement at the young frontliner's expense. That was odd. She glanced up at the ceiling and sighed.

"Something wrong?"

Trapjaw turned to Ratchet who had spared the time to rip his glare away from Sideswipe and moved it to her. "No." She answered. "Just not feeling like myself is all."

Ratchet nodded. "I see. We're almost there, right, Skyfire?"

"Yes. The designated area isn't too far away."

Ratchet nodded. "See?"

Trapjaw nodded. "What exactly are we supposed to be expecting?"

Ratchet glanced up. "Megatron in all his glory. Seekers, Eradicons, insecticons. I hear he's pulling all the stops. How are you feeling? The Fracaso acting up?"

Trapjaw frowned at the mention of the disease. The slagging thing took her original colors away, and it was well on it's way to whiting out her processor. "Hot Rod said I was supposed to have a meeting with Smokescreen a couple of days ago. I apparently forgot. I don't remember, but this morning Smokescreen asked me where I was."

Ratchet nodded. "I see. The memories go first. Then the core programming."

Trapjaw sighed. "That's not what has been bothering me though. I've started to feel paranoid lately."

Ratchet frowned. "Do you know why?"

"If I knew why I wouldn't be asking you!"

"Don't snap at me, femme!" Ratchet growled as the plane bounced a bit.

The hold's door opened up, and bots started to file out. Trapjaw stood up, and prepared herself for what was to come. She had never gotten used to the battle fields. She doubted she ever would.

Ratchet watched Trapjaw and Optimus as they discussed the battle plans. Trapjaw would be the field medic while Ratchet would take over the make shift medical bay inside Skyfire's hold. Trapjaw nodded. "Alright. Prowl is sure that the Decepticons are going to attack here?"

"There is a high concentration of energon beneath our pedes. It is more than likely the Decepticons will strike. When? We cannot be sure."

Trapjaw nodded again. "Okay!" She smiled at Optimus. "Leave everything to me and Ratchet. Between us, not one mech will offline!"

Ratchet snorted. "A big ego." He commented.

"You think it." Trapjaw accused. "Every medic has a big ego. We like to think we're playing god. Deciding who to fix first."

Ratchet snorted. "Sure."

Trapjaw giggled. "I'm just messing with you, Ratch."

Ratchet shook his helm. "Whatever you say."

A mech ran up to the group. "Optimus we have the Decepticons on our radar. They are headed this way just as Commander Prowl said!"

Optimus nodded. "Trapjaw, Ratchet, get ready."

Trapjaw nodded.

* * *

The Autobots stood ready for the Decepticons. Any moment and the bane of their existence would coming over the mountain, and towards the place they would try to claim as their own.

The seekers flew in first. The sound of their thrusters almost deafening. Soon after Megatron landed on the top of a mountain, that to the Autobots seemed no more than a hill. "Autobots! How nice of you to join us! Too bad it will be last!"

Megatron made a hand signal and the rest of his army appeared on the top behind him. "Depticons, Transform and rise up!"

Optimus glared as his battle mask snapped close. "Autobots, Roll out!"

The Autobots ran up the mountain meeting the Decepticons halfway in a clash of swords and blasters. It wasn't long before bots began falling, and Trapjaw's patch jobs were needed. She started at the base of the mountain, working in the less dangerous zones before moving closer to the combat zone. The closer she got, the more her paranoia seemed to act up.

"Slag it! Stop it, Trapjaw! Nothing is there!" She cursed as she ran up to another bot, and started a scan. A major blast to the side. She pulled out her anesthetic and injected it into the bot's neck. "You'll be fine. The anesthetic will ease the pain, but your senses should stay sharp."

The bot nodded with a groan. Trapjaw pulled out some sheet metal and began working on the temporary weld job. The feeling to look behind her continued to rack her processor. _Turn around! Turn around! Turn around!_

Trapjaw quickly finished the weld, and stood up. _Turn around!_ She couldn't control herself any longer. She turned around. Her optics widened as the blue plasma shot hit her chest and she flew back, barely missing the mech she had just fixed.

Trapjaw's frame hit the ground with a thud, and slid back.

"Slag!"

She faintly heard the mech she had repaired yell out in shock.

"h-HELP! MEDIC DOWN! MEDIC DOWN!" The bot watched with wide optics as a huge mech ran down the mountain, and scooped the white femme off the ground.

* * *

Ratchet had already had a huge influx of bots coming in. He was treating the severely injured while Trapjaw was taking care of the moderately injured on the battle field. "Ratchet!"

Ratchet quickly turned to the sound of his name being shouted. "What the frag? What's with the slagg- Trapjaw!" Ratchet rushed forward, and ran a quick scan over the femme. "Slag! Put her on the berth!"

Ratchet quickly began working on the femme's chassis. He began hooking the frame up to the machines that kept track of her energon flow and spark signature. The shot hit right over her spark chamber. Multiple cracks had began to form over protective casing, parts had even crumbled away. Even Ratchet knew when there was not hope. Any kind of wound to the spark chamber was hard enough to fix, but this, this was impossible. Ratchet cursed as the femme's optics began to online.

"R-ratchet?"

"Shut up." Ratchet grabbed a wrench and gently tapped it against the femme's helm. The least he could was be there.

"I can't really feel anything."

"It's normal." Ratchet cursed as he looked away. He knew the femme. She was his apprentice. He helped raise the slagging cyberwolf!

"It feels funny."

Ratchet watched as the femmes' optics began shorting out. "Yeah." Ratchet swallowed a knot in his throat as the femme began coughing.

"Ow." She mumbled. A trickle of energon ran down her face. "Oh. I see." She chuckled. "I'm dying."

"Shut up! You're-"

"Better than offlining as a vegetable. At least I got a chance to fight."

Ratchet glanced down at the floor. "Y-yeah."

"I regret nothing." Trapjaw mumbled. She let out a slight laugh. "I've always wanted to say tha-" Her optics flickered offline, as the blue glow from her spark flickered out.

Ratchet stared at the frame. His optics wide. He squeezed them shut, and turned away from the frame. He shuttered his optics, and worked the tears from falling out. "Next patient!" He yelled.


	2. Till I Collapse

**A/N: Take that! I did it on time! I updated on time! Aren't you guys proud? XD Anyways, I actually and half happy with this. Half way, which is better than half the stuff I do!**

**REVIEWS!**

**Autobot Trapjaw: Naw! I don't work miracles! XD I work my imagination, and then my imagination half the time is like. "Yo bro, you need to pay me for the stuff I come up with!" and I'm like "No, I'm broke." And then my imagination quits, and I have to lure it back Reese's! Tell me how I did with Wildfire! I'm hoping I'm getting him right. For some reason I imagine him to be an laid back Ultra Magnus type mech. Kind of serious since it obviously skipped his Sire. XD Thank you!**

**Autobotschic: I actually wanted to make Shadow Stalker kind of help Wildfire a little. Since the bot it having a hard time swallowing it all. XD**

* * *

Hot Rod gripped Wildfire's shoulders. "When your carrier gets back here, the first thing I'm going to make her do is unblock the bond. I always feel uneasy when it's blocked."

Wildfire rolled his eyes at his sire. The mech was always like this when Trapjaw left. He had to have somebody to talk to. Wildfire didn't mind it when he was younger, but it was seriously starting to get on his nerves now that he was older. "Yeah."

"You feel it too!" Hot Rod smiled. "I knew you were my creation!" He wrapped wildfire into a hug. "You're carrier is one of a kind."

Hot Rod grunted as extra weight was added to his frame. "Is she really?"

"Shadow Stalker! Get off!"

Shadow Stalker giggled as she jumped off Hot Rod's back. "That was just mean. Are you two headed to the hangar?"

Wildfire nodded. "Yes. Carrier is supposed to be back any second. Relapse sent us the comm. that they were almost here."

Hot Rod smiled. "Relapse must have had a bad time because he didn't sound to happy."

Shadow Stalker nodded. "He's like that sometimes."

The group slowly made their way to the hangar. The rest of the bots waiting for their family to return were already there.

Ironhide nodded to Shadow Stalker. "Here on time? I'm surprised."

"Shut up!" She glared.

Ironhide laughed. "I heard the mission was almost a complete success. They had to blow up the energon deposit though."

Shadow Stalker frowned. "That's not good."

Soon the sound of Skyfire's engine filled the bots' audio sensors. He landed with a thud, and the back opened. Bots began filtering out, none looking too happy. Optimus stepped out and avoided any optic contact.

Shadow Stalker frowned as Optimus walked up to her and embraced her in a hug.

Hot Rod's optics widened as Ratchet came out with a gurney, Trapjaw's almost completely gray frame sitting on top of it. "No."

Wildfire took a step closer only to be pushed out of the way by Ironhide. "What the frag happened?"

Ratchet glared. "Shut up, Ironhide! She was on the field, there was always a chance of her getting hurt!"

The two mechs glared at each other. Ironhide looked down at the ground, and stepped back, allowing Ratchet to continue on without anymore obstacles.

Wildfire turned to his sire who stood frozen, optics wide. "Sire." He stepped forward, the pain in his spark no longer important as his Sire began to shake.

"She was supposed to come back." He whispered.

"Come on, Sire. I'll take you to the med bay."

"I don't want to."

Ironhide glared over at Hot Rod. "The kid just lost one creator. Don't make it two."

Hot Rod shook his helm. "No."

Ironhide glared as he hefted the fully grown mech over his shoulder, and began walking off.

Wildfire looked around the room at different families that were reunited with their loved ones. They were all so happy. He pulled his servo up to his chest. Was it normal to feel so detached?

Wildfire stared at other families that were crying huddled in their own little bunches. They lost somebody, just like he did. Why wasn't he crying?

Wildfire caught the optics of Shadow Stalker. She seemed upset, still in the embrace of her bonded. She wasn't crying, but he had never seen his carrier's sister cry before. She was strong.

Wildfire slowly turned around, and walked away from the hangar. Maybe he was just dreaming. He would wake up in his chair at monitor duty. Right where he was before his Sire came and grabbed him.

* * *

Ironhide dropped Hot Rod on a berth. Ratchet walked over to the mech after he secured Trapjaw's frame in holding area for part donors. "Hot Rod, is the bond still blocked?"

"Yes." He whispered.

Ratchet nodded. "Lay down." Hot Rod laid back on the berth. "We have to force the bond open."

Hot Rod sent a pleading glance to Ratchet. "No, no, Please no!"

"If we don't force it open Hot Rod, it will slowly open, and the bond won't completely break. You will continue to feel the backlash of Trapjaw's death, over and over. That is worse than death, believe me."

Hot Rod's optics were spilling over with energon. "No!"

"I'm going to put you into Stasis lock. You will be fine."

"NO! NO! NO!"

Ironhide held Hot Rod down as Ratchet plugged a cord into his neck. Hot Rod's optics slowly offlined. "It will take a while for him to completely enter Stasis Lock. I believe it would be a good idea to have Wildfire here."

Ironhide nodded. "Alright. I'll go see if I can find him."

Ratchet plugged another cord into the back of Hot Rod's neck. "Can you hear me, Hot Rod?"

"Ratchet, please…" Hot Rod's voice came out of the computer, fuzzy, and full of static.

"Hot Rod, if there was another way, I would be doing it that way. We can do it right now, or we can wait for Wildfire. Which do you want?"

"Ratchet, no."

"Hot Rod, listen to me." Ratchet's fists tightened against the berth. "There is a chance you can offline doing this. It is much less than just waiting for the bond to slowly dissipate, but there's a chance, and I know there is nothing that you want more than that, but you have Wildfire to look after."

"He's grown."

"You're never too grown up to not need your creators. Do you not think that Trapjaw's death hurt him as much as it did you? You have to be there for him. You have to show him how to be strong."

"I can't."

"You have to."

Hot Rod went silent.

"Alright." His voice finally emitted from the computer. "I don't want Wildfire to see, so what do I do?"

Ratchet nodded. "I need you to push the bond. Prod at it until it opens. Try your best to force it open. I'll make sure Wildfire doesn't come in while you're doing it."

"Alright." Hot Rod's voice slowly faded out as Ratchet pulled the cord out of his neck.

* * *

Ironhide sighed as he searched all of Wildfire's usual hiding places. The mech was nowhere. He might as well try the security hud. He walked down the hall, and paused when he spotted Shadow Stalker leaning against the wall in front of the Security section.

"What are you doing?" Ironhide gave Shadow Stalker a strange look.

"Wildfire is in there. He's just going about his duty like nothing happened. I saw him in the hangar earlier, and decided to follow him."

"How long as he been in there?"

"A while." Shadow Stalker answered. "How's Hot Rod?"

"Ratchet is making him break the bond, so he doesn't offline." Ironhide frowned. "I'm supposed to be getting Wildfire. How are you doing?"

Shadow Stalker looked away, and nodded. "I lost my sister. I'm probably doing as well as you. It hurts." Shadow Stalker sighed. "He's all yours. Prowl has been trying to get him to take off duty. It's not working."

Ironhide sighed as he walked into the room. All optics flew towards him. Well, all except Wildfire's. The kid's optics were glued to the screen. Ironhide stepped up behind him. "Get up."

Wildfire ignored him.

"Come on. Your sire needs you."

Wildfire stood up. "Okay."

Ironhide wrapped his arm around Wildfire's shoulder. "Let's go."

Wildfire nodded.

Ironhide nodded to Shadow Stalker as they passed her. They walked slowly to the Medical bay.

They walked silently. Nobody talked, or even attempted to. Wildfire stared at the ground as he took one step after another, silently counting each step he took. Oblivious to Ironhide's servo still attached to his shoulder.

"FIRST AID GRAB THE NUETRALIZER!"

Ironhide froze. What was going on in there?

"HOT ROD, DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE US! I'LL BEAT THE SLAG OUT OF YOU!"

Wildfire's optics were wide. "No."

"BRING ME THE SPARK STABLIZER!"

Wildfire tried to step closer, but Ironhide's servo pulled him back. "Don't."

"Grand-sire, I –"

Ironhide shook his helm. "No."

::Ratch, what's going on in there?::

::It's okay to come in now. Hot Rod's spark almost failed, but the bond is broken now. Nothing but a raw spot.::

Ironhide released Wildfire. "Go on in."

* * *

Hot Rod's optics slowly onlined. He groaned as the light almost blinded him. "Ow."

"Sire?"

"Wildfire?"

Wildfire's face was immediately in Hot Rod's field of vision. "Sire!" Wildfire gripped Hot Rod in a hug as best he could. "I though- I thought I was going to lose you too."

Hot Rod frowned. "No. I- I wouldn't."

Wildfire sat up, and passed a data pad to Hot Rod. "I haven't read it yet. I thought you would want to."

Hot Rod frowned as he sat up, and flung his legs over the edge of the berth. "T-thanks."

Wildfire stood up. "I have duty, but Ratchet said that you could leave after you onlined. He kept you in stasis until you got better. It's been two days."

Hot Rod frowned. "T-Two?"

Wildfire nodded. "Yeah. I'll, um, see you later."

Hot rod stared at the data pad as Wildfire walked away. His servo went up to his chest, and glanced down sadly. It still hurt. It would always hurt as far as he was concerned. Trapjaw was his life. The whole reason of his being. Now all he had left was a flimsy data pad with nothing but words.

No, that wasn't true. They weren't just words. They were very precious things wrote down by the love his life. Emotion packed every single glyph, or letter, depending on what she decided to write with. Hot Rod smiled. Trapjaw was strange like that. She enjoyed dabbling in the Earth customs. She made him work for what he wanted.

Hot Rod shook his helm as he laid the data pad down on the berth beside him. He wasn't ready. Not yet. Trapjaw had a way with words that could make or break him, but what if these broke him?

"What are you doing?" Ratchet leaned against the wall, wrench firmly in his servos. "You're not going to read it?"

"No." Hot Rod whispered. "Is Trapjaw's frame still… I mean is it…"

"We already donated a couple of parts, if that is what you're asking." Ratchet answered.

"I see." Hot Rod glanced down. "How bad was her frame?"

"The entire chassis was destroyed. Her spark chamber was destroyed, but her Core made it."

"Her Spark's core?"

Ratchet nodded. "It's already been removed and is ready for the mech who needs it."

Hot Rod frowned. "W-what do you mean?"

"Trapjaw, Optimus, and I have been working on something. I'm sure Trapjaw wrote about it in the data pad. I'm not exactly the best person to be asking about it. Well, I am, but she had a much better way of describing it." Ratchet sniffed as his helm leaned back against the wall. "You're free to go."

"You hurt too?" Hot Rod asked.

"Yes, I do. Now get out!" Ratchet snapped his helm away from Hot Rod. "I couldn't help her. I should have been able to, but all I could do was listen to her dumb joke as she faded."

"Tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"The joke."

Ratchet shook his helm. "She just said that she regretted nothing."

A bitter smirk crossed Hot Rod's face. "Idiot." His voice came out high pitched as sniffed. "Fragging idiot. There was so much better things to say than those words as your last."

"Those weren't her last. Her last words were 'I always want to say-'." Ratchet shook his helm. "She didn't even get to finish. Primus could have had the decency to let her fragging finish!"

Hot Rod wiped his optics. "Yeah, he could have." Hot Rod picked up the data pad, and turned it on. "You mind if I stay while I read this?"

"No, I don't mind. I've got patients to work on."

"Doc, don't work too hard. Fixing mechs can't distract you forever."

"Funny coming from you." Ratchet grumbled as he walked off.

Hot Rod turned back to his data pad, and stared at the screen. Fragging femme couldn't make it easy for him.

_Password Required._

_Hint: Japanese Kanji for I love you._

How the Frag was he supposed to find that?

* * *

Ratchet stared at the huge black and red frame in front of him. This was Trapjaw's work. He remembered when they started it.

_Trapjaw smiled at the broken Decepticon frame. "I can fix it! I can make it my new baby. Hot Rod keeps complaining about how he wants another after Wildfire, but I'd go to the pit before I carry again."_

_Ratchet rolled his optics. "Just remember to wipe the Decepticon coding."_

"_I'll have to find a new Spark chamber and Core for it too. This will be amazing. I hope when this mech onlines, he loves his frame, and everything in it. I know I do."_

_Ratchet snorted at the white femme. "Really? Even though it's a Decepticon built frame?"_

_Trapjaw glanced over to Ratchet. "He's beautiful. In his own way. You're not very good at seeing these things. Have you seen his circuitry? Whoever built this baby, is an artist. I mean seriously, even his joints have joints! This guy was made to be a power house!"_

Ratchet chuckled at the memory. Energon tears fell from his optics. Fragging femme. She always had a way of gripping his emotions and twisting them to her wants and needs. Her Sparkling optics were what did it. Made Ratchet cave to anything.

She was gone now, but she would live on.

Ratchet grabbed the Spark core, and began long process or implanting it into it's new frame. Let's just hope the frame can fully integrate with it.


	3. I'm Back

**A/N: So, you guys… FINDING DORY! The next Finding Nemo movie! OH MAH GOSH**

**XD on a side note. My kitten is crying as it eats. Its almost like Ironhide is saying, "This is so fragging delish! GIVE ME MORE BEFORE I SHOOT YOUR HELM OFF! XD I'll be talking about my kitten a lot. Hes so freaking adorable. XD**

**Autobotschic: XD They are all **_**Eminem**_** song titles XD I've been listening to him since I was born. Litterally. My dad loves him. XD Shadow Stalker's gonna be like a creepy stalker following him everywhere… She'll be like a Synchro come to think about it. "He touched Wildfire… He has to go." XD**

**Zrexheartz: Yup! Afterall this is still pretty much the prologue. Sigh. I can't wait to get to the good stuff.**

**Autobot Trapjaw: No, don't! Don't cry bro! Here, hold Ironhide! *Passes adorable kitten who latches onto your clothing and bitches about much you smell* Good! I was scared I was getting him wrong, and I was slightly freaking out!**

* * *

Optimus frowned at Ratchet. "Ratchet, you understand what you are saying, yes?"

"Optimus, I believe we can give this mech life, but because of the nature of the spark's core's offlinement, we need a jump start essentially." Ratchet glanced over to the frame. "Besides, it's our technology. The humans have no right to be holding it away from us!"

Optimus frowned. "Ratchet, I realize this project is very important to you, but I cannot put us in the position of arguing with the humans at this point. Things are very shaky after the huge explosion anyways."

Ratchet frowned. "It's not important to me. That would be too simple of a definition of what this really is. It's precious, and I really believe I would offline if something happened to it."

"Ratchet." Optimus sighed

"Optimus, I have to bring this mech online if it's the last thing I do. He is what's going to keep Trapjaw going."

"Trapjaw is offline. She is with the Well of All Sparks."

"But her spark's core is inside of this mech." Ratchet frowned as he sat down at his desk.

Optimus nodded. "I will see what I can do old friend."

* * *

Hot Rod stared at the data pad. How the frag was he supposed to know? Was he supposed to ask around or something? What? Google Translate? Frag! Hot Rod smirked. He could. Google was such a functional place surely their translation device could translate "I love you" into Japanese Kanji! Surely!

"Hot Rod?"

Hot Rod glanced up. "Optimus!"

"Are you alright?" Optimus sat down at the table Hot Rod seemed to have lodged himself at.

"How did you get into my room?"

Optimus glanced around. "This is the Recreation room."

Hot Rod frowned as he glanced around. "Oh. So it is."

"Yes, it is." Optimus sent a worried glance to Hot Rod. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm just trying to figure out the Japanese kanji for love."

"Why don't you use your internal translation system?"

Hot Rod stared at Optimus like he was a god. "Why didn't I think of that?" He quickly stood up and ran out of the room.

Optimus sighed. He glanced around the room, and nodded when he spotted the mech he needed. "Mirage!"

The blue and White mech turned and walked over. "Yes, Sir?"

"Watch Hot Rod. He doesn't seem… well."

Mirage nodded. "Of course." He slowly vanished into nothing.

Optimus sighed. This was going to be a long orn.

* * *

Ratchet slowly slipped into the huge vault. He couldn't say he really cared if the humans were going to glitch out about it later. He wasn't very fond of the fleshies. They were a huge pain in his aft. He slowly ran his digits over various medical equipment that could have saved more than their fair share of lives, but because of the high radiation levels, or some other stupid reason, Ratchet was forced to lock them away, never to be used again.

Ratchet grabbed a Small cylindrical object. Blue light particles spun around in a vortex like manner. It was an essence. The last essence, straight from the Well of All Sparks. It was what the last battle of Cybertron was for. He sub-spaced the cylinder, and slowly walked out of the room. He quickly checked to make sure none of the objects were askew. Clear. Not one thing out of place, except the cylinder of course.

Ratchet slipped into the med bay and silently walked over to the empty frame. He reached into his subspace and pulled out the essence. He took a deep breath as he placed the cylinder into the open spark chamber, and slid the top open.

The blue vortex flowed out, and entered the spark's core, which slowly began to glow. Ratchet pulled out the cylinder and waited. If the essence was accepted, then the spark chamber would close, never to open again. If the essence was rejected… well. Needless to say, it would not end well.

Ratchet waited patiently, the glow from the spark's core growing stronger. Ratchet released a sigh as the spark chamber snapped closed. Ratchet ran to the other side of the med bay and grabbed a huge cable. He stretched it across, and hooked it up to the mech's chest. The energon began it's journey into the mech's core.

* * *

Hot Rod stared at the Data pad as he typed in the password. He sat the data pad down. Was he ready to read it? Was he ready to accept what he knew was true? All hope of seeing Trapjaw again would be lost. None. Trapjaw would lost.

"No." Hot Rod shook his helm. She wouldn't be gone. Not completely. He pulled the data pad up, and sighed.

_Sup Bro!_

Hot Rod groaned. Trapjaw's sense of humor. Please Primus, say you didn't let her write the whole thing like that.

_That wasn't cool. If you're reading this, then my sense of humor probably isn't the best thing at the moment. I'm offline. (OR YOU OPENED IT LIKE YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO! IF THAT'S THE CASE CLOSE THIS NOW! SLAGGER!)_

_That's what I thought._

_If I really am offline, Sorry. Lately, I haven't been feeling like myself. I've been kind of distant to you for one. Shadow Stalker's been on the wrong end of my wrath lately too. I can't really remember things like I used to be able to either. I know you've noticed. I forgot about the date you made up._

Hot Rod shook his helm. He didn't make it up. He asked her out, she said yes, and stood him up.

_I offlined a coward for not being able to tell you. If there was one bot on this planet- No, in this always expanding universe, it should have been you. My processor has slowly been "Whiting out". I hope this disease offlines with me. _

_Believe it or not, I wasn't always white. You probably won't. You're too busy drooling over my "Pure White" as you call it. It's actually a cream color, freak._

_It's a disease called Fracas. Don't know it? Didn't expect you to. It's rare. I would have become a useless unmoving frame if I hadn't of offlined. (SERIOUSLY! IF I'M NOT OFFLINE AND YOU'RE READING THIS, YOU'LL NEVER GET FRAGGED AGAIN!)_

_I'll admit, for not telling you, I died as the humans say, "a coward's death". I took the mission knowing full well that I would offline. I planned my last words. I hope I get to say them. If I forget just remember that they were supposed to be, "I hid the treasure in…". If I didn't get to say that, I'll be mildly irritated._

_I hope I'm making you laugh. The last thing I want to do is make you cry. When you cry, I cry. I don't want that. That is the last thing in the universe I want. Tell Wildfire I love him. Even if I'm not coming back, my love radiates from all the stars in the sky. _

_I love you, too. Jealous oaf. I'm still inside you, so don't cry. I don't want anybody crying because I'm gone. I know you wouldn't want me to cry because you're gone. I'm sure you'll have enough ex-lovers crying the foot of your frame. You'd hate for there to be mass murder there._

_I still love you. Even if I'm gone. I'm not. Remember that. If you even think about getting in a berth with another person, I will spite you from the well! I'll frag your life up so much, you'll wish you were never sparked! _

_Be strong, Bro._

_With Love,_

_Trapjaw. (Slagger, if you made it this far, and I'm alive, I'll kick your processor out of your helm! Not that you have a processor)_

Hot Rod frowned. He had a processor. He wiped his optics. "I have a processor. It's bigger than yours would have ever been." Hot Rod mumbled, as he let the data pad lay on the berth. He stood up slowly, and stared at himself in the mirror. "It's time to grow up, Rod. Be strong."

* * *

Ratchet sat at his desk as Ironhide and Optimus glared down at him. "Ratchet, you snuck into the vault, and stole property." Optimus sighed.

"I regret nothing." Ratchet pulled his pedes onto his desk. "If you're going to punish me, get it over with. I have a new patient to take care of."

Ironhide shook his helm. "As if things weren't hard enough with the decepticons humping our rears. Let's add the small humans to that."

"Is that what bots say these days? Humping?"

Optimus sighed. "Ratchet."

"Do you want it back? Do want the essence back? That mech made one pit of a journey, and you're just going to offline him!"

"Ratchet I was no-"

"No! Let me go tell him that I have to rip his spark out because our lovely Prime won't let him live!"

"Ratch-"

"That's what you were goin-"

"RATCHET!" The room vibrated as Optimus yelled. Optimus sighed. "I am sorry. I am under a lot of pressure. Please allow me to speak. The mech will be your responsibility. He will be under your custody. Anything that goes wrong will be on your shoulders."

Ratchet nodded. "I-I understand. I am very Sorry, Prime."

Optimus shook his helm. "I need to get back to Shadow Stalker. She has not been taking this very well."

Ratchet nodded as the Prime left. Ironhide stared at Ratchet and sighed. "I finished our puzzle last night. Trapjaw and I have been working on that thing for a while. We promised not to do it without each other, but seeing as she's… not… coming back."

"Ironhide, I'm sorry. I know this hasn't been-"

"No, it hasn' was my youngling Ratchet. She lived with that disease, and she dies by a disgusting fragging con!" Ironhide shook his helm. "Those Decepticon markings better be gone off that frame. I might not be able to control myself if I see them."

"They have been removed." Ratchet nodded.

Ironhide sniffed, and nodded. "Thanks."

The two stood silently. Ironhide shook his helm. "I better go check on Wildfire. He's been distant."

"He lost his carrier." Ratchet sighed. "It's normal. Don't let him be alone. That's not what he needs."

Ironhide nodded.

* * *

A blinding light. A flash. Information flew around his processor. No, He was in the spark. His processor hadn't onlined yet. Where was he? This was an odd sensation. So different from the well. It was so.. LOUD!

"_**Lose yourself in the music."**_

"_**Maybe one day we'll wake up and this will all just be a dream."**_

"_**The truth is you don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. Life is a crazy ride and nothing is guaranteed."**_

"_**I think my daddy's gone crazy!"**_

There was a flash. In a moment he was gone from his spark. Signals popped up. He was hungry. His energon levels were low. His spark's core was fully integrated.

The bot's optics onlined in a flash of blue. He quickly sat up, and jumped off whatever he was on. He arms were raised ready for whatever was coming for him.

Four bots stared back at him. A red and white one glared. "Sit your aft back on the berth."

"Get up, stand up, Stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, Don't give up the fight."

The red and white mech sent another glare. "Is that a no?"

"There are Many things that I would Like to say to you But I Don't know How."

"I am Ratchet. A medic. Sit, and I'll fix your vocals."

"If that mockingbird don't sing and that ring don't shine, I'm a break that birdie's neck."

A big black mech snorted. "I don't think he likes you, Ratchet."

Ratchet glared at the mech. "I'll shove my wrench right up your-"

"Dealing with backstabbers, there was one thing I learned. They're only powerful when you got your back turned."

"Ba-backstabber?" Ratchet stomped up to the mech. "Listen here! I'll-"

"Ratchet." A tall red and blue mech stepped forward. He sighed and nodded the new bot. "I am Optimus prime."

"I'm glad cause they feed me the fuel that I need for the fire to burn and it's burnin and I have returned."

"Ratchet, please fix his voice box."

The white, green, and red mech snorted. "It's Eminem!"

Optimus frowned. "The candy?"

"It's a singer." Ratchet groaned. "I know what it is, Wheeljack. Trapjaw played it constantly."

"Slut, you think I won't choke no whore 'til the vocal cords don't work in her throat no more?!" Everybody turned to the new bot. "Ha ha, I'm playing ladies. You know I love you!"

Ratchet walked up to the mech, and pushed his thumb in his throat. The new bot let out a squeak as a click rang through the room. "Fixed." Ratchet glared.

Optimus sighed. "Do you have a designation that you wish to be called?"

"Ma- Marshall!"

Optimus nodded. "It is nice to meet you, Marshall."

The red and black mech nodded. "Thank you, Sir. I am ready for duty, whatever it may be!"

Optimus nodded. "You are on planet Earth. You will be under Ratchet. He will teach you the rules of the base, and everything you need to know about humans, and their customs."

"Humans?"

"The original inhabitants of Earth."

Marshall nodded. "Yes sir."


	4. Bully

**A/N: WHAT? WHAT? XD Yes I finished it yesterday! (See Nagging does help! XD) It's kind of short by my standards, but I tried.**

**REVIEWS**

**Zrexheartz: MARSHALL! WHOOT! XD That line was from Autobot Trapjaw's original oneshot that this is based off of. You should read it! There are a couple of little stories she has about Trapjaw's death, and Marshall. This story was a request from her, and I'm super excited to be doing it! You should read them! **

**Autobotschic: Yus! I did! XD "Aunt Shadow! Please stop beating Prowl up! He didn't mean to!" XD**

**Autobot Trapjaw: My ego! It's like you're feeding it! XD You really shouldn't read stuff that many times. It will turn your brain to mush. Just like TV. It's true! XD**

* * *

Marshall started at Ratchet as the mech ran some medical tests. "You're fully functional. Congrats."

Marshall continued staring at Ratchet. "I see. Thank you."

Ratchet glared as the mech continued sitting there. "What?"

"You are supposed to be teaching me, are you not?"

"You want a lesson?" Ratchet sighed. "Stop talking like you're a drone. You're not. You have spark, and personality. We are Autobots. There's not a lot of bots you have to be formal with."

Marshall frowned. "We don't have to be formal?"

"No. Not really." Ratchet stared back at the mech. "There are humans on base, so when you decide to leave med bay and start exploring, remember to keep your sensors on."

Marshall nodded. "Sir."

Ratchet rolled his optics. "Next lesson." Ratchet reeled his hand back, and flung a wrench at the bots head. He smirked as the familiar ring echoed through the med bay. "Don't piss me off."

* * *

Marshall stared at the med bay doors. He'd been standing there for at least a joor. Ratchet had continued yelling through the door for him to "Go the frag away." But he didn't really know where to go.

"Marshall?"

Marshall turned to the voice. Optimus Prime. "Sir."

Optimus nodded. "What are you doing out here, alone?"

Marshall thought for a moment. "I am supposed to be exploring base, but…" Marshall stopped. What was he doing?

"Marshall?"

"I am sorry. I do not know what I'm doing."

"A good place to start exploring is the rec room. You can meet new bots, and get to know them." Optimus advised. "I can take you, if you'd like."

Marshall stared at the Med bay doors. He was unprepared. That was what his problem was. Ratchet was just pushing him out of the nest. "I do no-" Marshall's helm began to twitch. "_Fuck it, let's all have fun let's mingle. Slap a bitch and smack a ho!"_

_O_ptimus stared at Marshall, and Marshall stared back at Optimus with wide optics. Optimus coughed into his servos. "I see. Then, I will take you."

Marshall glanced around as Optimus began walking off. He felt strange. He didn't want to say that. He jumped when Optimus turned a corner. He quickly began to run to catch up with the red and blue mech.

The two went slowly down the halls. Optimus pointed out a few rooms, and halls that he might have to use. Marshall nodded, and absorbed the information. "This is a meeting room?"

Optimus nodded. "Officer meeting room. There is the Mission briefing room right over there. It is mostly used for Special ops, informants, and the Wreckers. The war has taken much and I'm afraid the Autobot armed forces is very small at the moment."

"I do not know much of what is going on right now. I do not mean to throw Ratchet under the energon mining drill, but I am not completely educated on the topic of "The war.". I do wish to know more though."

Optimus nodded. "Ratchet is not a mech who you will be learning those things from. If you have any major problems Ratchet would be the one to speak to, but not for educational purpose. He has a very… short fuse."

Marshall nodded as the two came up to the rec room. "This is the recreational Room. Bots come here to relax, and socialize. You will have an energon dispenser in your quarters, but it is encouraged to come here, and have energon from time to time."

Marshall nodded again. "I thank you for bringing me here, Sir."

"Just Optimus is fine."

"I thank you for bringing me here, Optimus."

Optimus smirked. "You are welcome, Marshall."

A green mech tapped Optimus's shoulder. "Sir, Shadow Stalker is wrecking the training rooms again."

Optimus's weary optics nodded. "I see. I will head that way." He turned to Marshall. "Is there anything else you need?"

"No, sir."

Optimus nodded. "Then please, have fun." He slowly began walking off.

Marshall turned to face the room. Bots were sitting around and chatting. They were laughing, and having a good time. He didn't understand. War is not supposed to be fun. These bots were enjoying themselves. Why?

A big black mech walked up to him. He remembered him. He was there when he onlined. "Marshall."

"I am very sorry, I do not know your designation."

The mech's optics were glowing bright. He was over energized. "Ironhide!" He growled.

Marshall stepped back. "Ironhide. I will remember that, Sir."

Ironhide glared down at Marshall. "What the frag are you doing here?"

Marshall's helm fell to the side. "Ratchet has advised me to explore base. I simply fulfilling that request. Optimus brought me here, but he had to leave."

"You're not welcome. You might as well go running back to Ratchet!"

By this time optics were on Ironhide and Marshall. Bots were starting to stand up in case the black and red bot needed any help. "I see. Then, I will go. Thank you for your help, Ironhide."

Ironhide growled as Marshall began to walk away. "Do you not even know how to stand up for yourself?"

Marshall frowned. Ironhide told him to leave, and he was leaving. Why did he try to pull his attention back to where he didn't want him to be? It made no sense. "I am simply doing as you asked. You said I was not welcome. I will leave. I do not understand."

"The spark's core that sits in your chest was one of a fighter! Don't just be a coward!" Ironhide growled.

His Spark's core? "This is my Sparks core though. I believe if it belongs to me, then I should be able to do what I wish. I am not being a coward. I am simply leaving because I am not welcome."

Ironhide growled. A Green servo was brought down on his shoulder. "Hide. What are ya doing?"

"Shut up, Kup!" Ironhide shoved the mech away. "I don't care what you have to say!"

The green mech, Kup, glared at Ironhide. "Time for ya to go to your quarters, Hide. You're going too far here." Kup pushed past Marshall with a guiding servo on Ironhide's back.

Marshall stared at the room before he turned, and walked away, heading back to Medical bay.

* * *

Optimus sighed as he stared at the wrecked training room. Hound wasn't kidding. Shadow Stalker was doing a number in there. The black and green femme was currently kicking the walls, throwing drones, and ripping apart anything she could get her servos on.

Optimus typed in his bypass code, and walked into the room. "Shadow."

"Shut up!" She threw one of the drone's helms at Optimus.

He quickly ducked and sighed as the metallic thump sounded behind him. "Shadow. Calm down."

"HOW COULD RATCHET DO THAT?" She glared at Optimus. "He didn't even ask! He just did it!"

Optimus nodded. "I know, but you should no-"

"I should not what? I can't take my anger out? Are you kidding me? It's either this or tear that medic apart!"

"Shadow." Optimus stepped closer to the frantic femme. "You need to calm down. That's all I'm asking. We need that medic. You know that. I know that. Everybody knows that."

"I don't care if we need him or not!"

"Shadow Stalker, Marshall was Trapjaw's life. She wanted nothing more than to bring him to life."

Shadow Stalker shook her helm. "I don't care! Trapjaw shouldn't of had to die for that reason!"

"She did not offline because of that. She offlined a hero. She saved a mech, and got hit."

Shadow Stalker glared at Optimus. "Why are you on his side? Why are you trying to protect the patchwork mech, and evil medic who made him?"

"Shadow Stalker, this is not Frankenstein. Ratchet is not evil. He did a good thing by bringing that mech online. Marshall is kind, and at the moment he is not fully aware. He is a young mech who is lost."

"You want me to help him? You want me to help the mech who has my sister's spark's core inside him!"

"Yes. It would be kind of you. It will give you a chance to get to know the mech. Teach him. All I want you to do is teach him. He is a blank slate. He doesn't know much about our war, or our cause. If the Decepticons get a hold of him, then they could easily make him one of them instead of what he was originally meant to be."

"Trapjaw's core is not going to the cons!"

"Then teach him." Optimus wrapped Shadow Stalker in a hug. "Protect what you have left of Trapjaw."

* * *

**A/N: I fell Optimus was being very manipulative in that last part. I guess you have to be with Shadow Stalker though.**


	5. My Dad's Gone Crazy

**REVIEWS**

**Autobotschic: XD Optimus can be a slagger when he wants to. Don't challenge him. He is leader of the Autobots.**

**Autobot Trapjaw: XD He couldn't help himself! he has no contrrroooolll! XD You can't make him!:p Kup probably didn't want to lose his drinking partner! XD THANK YOU!**

**Zrexheartz: Isn't he?**

* * *

The green and black femme glared at Marshall as he sat innocently on his medical berth. She slowly began circling the mech. Observing his physique, color, build, and anything else she could see with her optics. "No good."

"What?" Marshall asked.

"I said, no good. Do you have hearing problems, or are you just ignoring me? I already don't like you, don't make me put you on my slag list too."

Marshall leaned away from the femme. "Yes."

"I am shadow Stalker. Do _NOT_ call me Shadow. Do_ NOT_ call me Stalker. It is _SHADOW STALKER_! Got it?"

"Yes, Shadow Stalker."

Shadow Stalker nodded. "Good. I'll be teaching you. Don't expect me to go easy on you either. You either learn, or lose digits. That will make more sense in the near future." Shadow Stalker smiled.

"I thought Ratchet was supposed to be in charge of teaching me."

"Things change." Shadow Stalker sent him a glare. "I personally hate change." Shadow Stalker began walking away. "Meet me in my office tomorrow, this exact time. Don't be late." She walked out of the room without another word.

Marshall frowned. "She was quite… strange."

Ratchet stomped out of his office. "Where the frag is that femme?"

"If you are asking about Shadow Stalker then she just left, Sir."

"No. I'm not talking about fragging Shadow Stalker. I'm supposed to be doing a preliminary medical check on a femme before she goes out on her mission."

"Shadow Stalker was the only femme I have seen, Sir."

Ratchet glared at Marshall. "You wouldn't have seen her."

Marshall frowned. "I see. I apologize."

Ratchet growled. He had heard enough of this mech's constant apologies. "Why the frag are you apologizing?"

"I do not know."

"Then don't! Now, get the frag out!"

Marshall stood up, and nodded. "Yes, Sir." He quickly ran out of the room before the dangerous medic succumbed to his wrath.

* * *

Wildfire slowly walked down the hall watching his pedes move. He wasn't really sure where he was going, but his pedes were going, so he would let them take him as they pleased. He only hoped the numb feeling would disappear.

Wildfire glanced up in enough time to see a black and red mech sprint out of the med bay. A small smirk washed over his face. Ratchet had a way with mechs.

The mech looked around, and nodded when he spotted Wildfire. Wildfire nodded as well. "I take it Ratchet isn't in a good mood?"

"I believe he is in a wonderful mood. He just does not seem happy with me or a femme for some reason. I am Marshall, by the way."

Wildfire frowned. "That is the same name as-"

"An Earth performer. I am aware."

Wildfire nodded. "I, uh, see. " Wildfire stared at Marshall, who just stared back. Wildfire shifted on his pedes. "I think I should go." He quickly began walking.

"Wait!"

Wildfire glanced back. "Yes?"

"It seems I am not welcome in the Recreation room. I wa-"

"Everybody is welcome in the recreation room." Wildfire interrupted.

"Ironhide does not seem to agree."

"I-Ironhide? Well, Ironhide is going through some stuff."

"He seems to have something against me. Something about my Spark's core."

"That's not something you should talk to me about. I'm kind of going through some stuff, too."

"Are you sick?" Marshall stepped forward. "If you are sick you should be resting or seeing Ratchet. Is that why you are here? Am I preventing you from seeing the doctor?"

"No. I'm not sick."

Marshall's helm stepped to the side. "I'm afraid I do not understand. If you are feeling unwell then you-"

"I'm not feeling unwell! What's with you?" Wildfire quickly turned his helm away. "I'm sorry. I have to go." He quickly ran off down the hall, leaving Marshall standing awkwardly alone.

Marshall let out a small sigh. It seemed not many bots around really wanted anything to do with him.

"Hey."

Marshall quickly turned at the sound of a voice. Nobody was in the hall. He was losing it. He had barely been online for an earth decaorn, and he was already going crazy. "H-hello?"

"On a scale from 1 to 10 how upset is Ratchet right now?"

"Depends on who you are. He didn't seem very happy with a femme, or me." Marshall answered the empty hall.

"Slag." The voice cursed. "Thanks, big guy."

Marshall looked down at himself. He wasn't really that big, was he? "You're welcome." He stood silently for a while before decided the voice was gone. He released a nervous sigh before he began a slow walk down the hall. Perhaps going to the Recreation room was a bad idea. Optimus had pointed out a couple of rooms that were empty. He could hang out there for a while.

* * *

Optimus slowly walked through the halls. Everything seemed normal. There was laughter coming from the Recreation room. Ratchet was upset at somebody. Shadow Stalker was pouting like a youngling. Marshall was recharging on the meeting room table.

Wait. What?

Optimus backed up and glanced into the meeting room. There laid the huge black and red mech. He was sprawled across the table. Limbs flung about carelessly. "Marshall?"

The huge mech's optics onlined. He stared up at the ceiling for a moment before he turned his helm to the doorway. "Optimus, Sir."

Optimus frowned. "Why are recharging on the meeting room table? If you don't mind me asking."

"Of course I do not mind. I was kicked out of the medical bay, and I did not wish to bother bots in the recreation room, so I came here."

Optimus frowned. "The recreation room is for bots to go during their free time. All bots are welcome to go there. You would not have been a bother."

"I did not feel very welcome yesterday. I believe it is best if I do not go back."

Optimus stepped into the room. "May I ask why you did not feel welcome?"

"Well, I do not feel very comfortable speaking about it." Marshall climbed off the table, and bowed to Optimus. "I'll take my leave."

Optimus nodded. "I see. Thank you for the talk, Marshall."

Marshall nodded as he ran out of the room.

* * *

Hot Rod watched the bots mess around in the rec room. The twins were arguing over what to watch, like usual. Smokescreen was gambling, like usual. It almost seemed like absolutely nothing had changed. Nobody seemed to care.

The most important person in his life was gone, and everybody was acting like nothing happened! He slowly stood up, and walked towards the rec room doors. Trapjaw loved the rec room. He turned back with a frown. She wasn't there though. It just wasn't the same.

"Hot Rod."

Hot Rod jumped. "Yes!"

Ironhide glared down at him. "You see the new mech around?"

"New mech?" Hot Rod frowned. "I haven't. I didn't even know there was a new mech. Who is it?"

"His designation is Marshall. I roughed him up a bit the other day. I've been looking for him since." Ironhide fully expected the orange mech to make fun of him, or pop a joke about him apologizing, but neither of those happened.

"I see. No, I haven't seen him."

Ironhide frowned at the mech. "You okay?"

Hot Rod nodded. "Yeah. I will be. At least I think so."

Ironhide nodded. "A little at a time, Kid." Ironhide walked past, and sat down in the corner at his usual table.

Hot Rod looked down as he walked out of the Rec room. He hadn't been able to hold his helm up high for a while. He tried, but the pride he used to run off of was gone. It just wasn't there anymore. Perhaps it was his light.

Yeah, his light was gone, and he felt he-

What was he doing? Trying to do a psychoanalysis on himself. Had he really fallen that deep? He was going to pull a Smokescreen? Hot Rod sighed. What the frag was wrong with him?

"Hot Rod."

Hot Rod looked around quickly. Nothing. He groaned. "What, Covenant?"

"You seem upset. I need you to go butter up the old Hatchet."

"No." Hot Rod continued walking. It was futile, he knew that, but it was always worth a chance.

"Why not?"

Hot Rod growled. "Because I'm not in the mood!"

"Oh, I get it. You got attached."

Hot Rod stopped. His optics narrowed. "To my bonded? Yes, I did! Sorry not all of us can be sparkless like you."

The hall was silent. A heavy pressure bore down on his shoulders. "Covenant, I di-"

"You're right. None of you strong enough for what I am anyways."

Hot Rod stood in the hall. The pressure was gone in an instant, and replaced with the depressing aura that had been Hot Rod for the last couple of orns. "Frag."

* * *

Marshall peeked around the rec room doorway. He allowed his gaze to rush over the room, and assess the area. He froze when his optics locked with the bright blue ones of Ironhide.

Ironhide shot up, and Marshall's optics widened. "No." He peeled away from the door, and ran like he had never ran before. Truthfully, this would be the first time for him. That he could remember anyways.

Ironhide was soon right behind him. For the hefty mech he was, he was also very light on his pedes. Ironhide shot off his pedes, and slammed into Marshall, sending them both to the ground.

Marshall groaned as the pain slowly dulled to a slight throb. Ironhide positioned himself so he was sitting on Marshall's back. "What the frag is wrong with you?"

"You were chasing me." Marshall groaned.

"I'm tryin' to talk to you!"

"You looked like you were going to offline me!"

Ironhide pulled himself off the smaller mech. "I was going to apologize, Lugnut."

"My designation is Marshall." Marshall pushed himself up, winced when he heard a creak. "I am also not old enough to be creaking."

Ironhide stared at the mech. "Do you need to go to Ratchet? I can help you, if you need it."

Marshall shook his helm. "I can get there by myself!"

Marshall and Ironhide stared at one another for a while before Ironhide brought his servos up. "Alright."

Marshall looked down. "I would hate to make you go out of your way. I will go see Ratchet on my own, thank you."

Ironhide nodded. "Yeah, you do that."

Marshall nodded. "Yes, Sir."

Ironhide watched the bot run off down the hall. He sighed and looked down at the ground. Nothing like Trapjaw at all.

* * *

Ratchet glared at the red and black mech. "It was simply metal screeching over metal. You're basically brand new. Your armor is fit perfectly. Give it time, and it will stop 'creaking'." Ratchet rolled his optics.

Marshall nodded. "I see. Thank you Medic. I appreciate it."

Ratchet huffed. "Whatever."

"Do you know where Shadow Stalker's office is? I am supposed to meet her there tomorrow, but I do not have a clue where it is."

"It is-" Ratchet stopped mid sentence. He slowly turned to Marshall. "Would you like to be the subject of an experiment?"

Marshall frowned. "Is it life threatening."

"That depends on Shadow Stalker."

Marshall thought for a moment. "Yes, I would be happy to help you out."

"Good. Try to find Shadow Stalker's office on your own tomorrow." Ratchet smirked.

Marshall thought for a moment. "Alright."

Ratchet nodded. "Get some recharge. You'll have a long day tomorrow."

Marshall nodded. "I will. Thank you, Ratchet." He leaned back on the berth he sat on, and waited for the lights to flicker off. When they did, he offlined his optics, and waited for the darkness to take him.

* * *

_Marshall was standing outside the Med bay. Ratchet was glaring from inside. "Next time you're late, I'll shove my wre-"_

"_No you won't!" Marshall jumped at the sound of his voice. It was higher pitched, sounded like a femme. Wait. Was it his voice?_

"_You have no proof." Ratchet shook his helm. "None at all."_

"_Yes, I do. You're too kind. I have to go talk to Shadow Stalker, so if Hot Rod comes, tell him I went to jump off a cliff or something."_

_Ratchet shook his helm. "I'll tell him you decided he wasn't worth it anymore."_

_Marshall let out a high pitched laugh. "Yeah, that ought to get him to take better care of Wil."_

_Ratchet rolled his optics, a smile graced his lip components. "I doubt Wildfire needs anybody else to take care of him."_

_Wildfire? He met him!_

"_Wildfire needs everybody, Ratchet. He's such a handful. Well, I have to go, if I'm late Shadow Stalker might decide she's had enough of me as a sister."_

_Sister? _

_Marshall watched the familiar halls as he walked down them. He noted the different turns he took, and went so far as to count the number of doors down he went. _

_When he paused and knocked at the door, and bunch of scurrying, and slamming could be heard through the door. It slid open, and Shadow Stalker stood in the doorway. _

"_Trapjaw! There you are."_

_Marshall chuckled. "Yeah, Optimus, you can come out of the closet now. I won't make any jokes, I swear."_

_The closet door opened, and the giant walked out of the closet. "I appreciate it, Trapjaw."_

"_Yeah. Shadow Stalker, I would watch your bonded. I hear he just came out of the closet."_

_Shadow Stalker glared. "Shut up."_

Marshall shot up. That was… strange. He checked his internal chronometer, and sighed. He had recharged through the night. It was almost time for him to meet with Shadow Stalker.


	6. Shit Can Happen

**A/N: I thought I updated a couple of days ago, but I guess I didn't. Thanks for reminding me Autbotschic! Whoo!**

**REVIEWS**

**Autbot Trapjaw: ****XD I'm good at torturing people. I have the memory of a goldfish, so I can never remember when I updated something! XD Bro! How'd you get grounded? I'm not one to talk. I always get grounded. Of course my mom knows how to torture me, so in the dead of the night she comes in and steals all my transformers. XD  
**

**Autobotschic: OH THE FEELS! XD He might not survive after this chapter! XD**

**Zrexheartz: Yep! Poor guy just doesn't know how to apologize.**

* * *

Marshall walked down the halls. He knew exactly where he was going. He was headed to meet with Shadow Stalker. He didn't know how he knew, but he did. His spark just told him where to go. All he had to do was listen.

He paused in front on a familiar door, and slowly knocked. "Shadow Stalker?"

The door flashed open, and Shadow Stalker stood in the door. She looked at the mech up and down before nodding. "Come on. Let's get this scrap over with."

* * *

Optimus knocked on a door. "Hot Rod."

The door slid open, and Hot Rod smiled. "Hey Optimus! How's it going?"

"I am well, thank you. How are you?"

"Me?" Hot Rod's smile widened. "I'm fabulous!"

Optimus stared at the mech. "I do not believe you."

Hot Rod's smile fell. "Yeah, I didn't think you would."

Optimus nodded. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Hot Rod turned and walked into his room. The door remained opened, so Optimus took it as an invitation to enter.

The room was a mess. Crushed data pads were strewn across the floor. Pieces of energon cubes were pushed up against the wall. Optimus took a step and cringed as a snap rang through the room.

"It's okay. It was junk." Hot Rod mumbled as he threw himself onto the berth.

"Hot Rod…"

"I just… I don't know what to do, Optimus. I don't if I should cry, or just lay down and die." Hot Rod rolled over. "I read the data pad she left me. She didn't want me to cry or be sad, but I…"

"I understand." Optimus sat down on the berth next to the broken bot. "Trapjaw was a very important part of our community. She helped fix us. She was kind, most of the time." Optimus chuckled at a memory. "She was even mischievous."

Hot Rod rolled over onto his back, and stared up at the ceiling. "She was loving, funny, and brave. She had the prettiest optics, and even though she hated it, I loved her root mode."

"She was self-conscious of it, but I can't help but to notice she stayed in it more as the two of you became closer." Optimus nodded.

"She pure white, Primus sent. I know she wasn't always like that, but she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen."

Optimus nodded. "It will not hurt forever, Hot Rod."

"But I'll always miss her. Everywhere I go, I'm reminded of her. The med bay, the rec room, the wash racks."

"I do hope you mean the mech's wash racks."

Hot Rod chuckled. "Yeah. She would always barge in when I did something wrong. Embarrass half the slaggers in there too. I want her to come back."

Optimus frowned. "Everybody does. You and Shadow Stalker the most."

"I haven't really seen Wildfire around. I mean. I haven't really left my room." Hot Rod sat up.

"He is your creation. Perhaps you should talk to him."

"Yeah."

"Covenant wished to apologize for her words the other day. She has left on a mission this morning. I told her to tell you herself, but you know how she is."

Hot Rod nodded. "Yeah."

* * *

"And that's the jest of the whole war thing. Here's your test." Shadow Stalker threw a data pad at the mech. "Every question you miss, I take a digit." She pulled out a small knife and slammed it down on the desk.

Marshall stared at the femme. "So, whichever side you're on, it's a choice?"

Shadow Stalker glared at the mech from her place sitting on her desk. "Yes. Not for you though. It was chosen for you."

"That doesn't seem very fair. How am I different from anybody else? Don't I have a choice?"

"No!" Shadow Stalker jumped off her desk and glared at the big red and black bot. "You don't."

"I should though! I have a spark. I have a processor. I have free will. I should be able to choose for myself. What if I don't want to be an Autobot?"

Shadow Stalker growled. "Your wants don't matter at this point in time! You were built by Autobots. You're frame is full of Autobot parts! I don't care what you want! You belong to the Autobots!"

"My frame is Decepticon." Marshall retorted. "Ratchet told me that much. He said that most of pieces inside me were Autobot, but the frame itself is Decepticon in origin."

Shadow Stalker growled. "You want to be a Decepticon? Fine! But you better had over every piece of Autobot in you!"

Marshall and Shadow Stalker glared at each other for a while until the door slid open. Optimus stood in the door way staring at the two. "Shadow, what is going on?"

Shadow Stalker glared at Optimus. "Nothing. I just finished. He's a quick learner."

Marshall turned away from the femme. "I'm leaving."

"Have fun." Shadow Stalker growled. "I hope you get shot."

"Shadow!"

Shadow Stalker crossed her servos and turned away from Optimus. "I do."

Marshall walked out of the room slowly. Maybe he wasn't welcome as an Autobot.

* * *

Hot Rod tapped on Wildfire's door. "Can I come in?"

The door slid open. Hot Rod peeked in, and frowned at his creation's cleanliness. "I thought I taught you to be dirtier than this."

Wildfire peeked over his shoulder from his place at his desk. "I just finished cleaning. I'm finishing my data pad now."

Hot Rod nodded. "I, uh, see."

Wildfire nodded as he wrote on the data pad with a stylus. "Prowl asked me to re-do it. I didn't do it right the first time."

Hot Rod sat down on Wildfire's berth. "Yeah. You're pretty busy aren't you?"

"I try to be." Wildfire's stylus slowly stopped. "I- I think I know why Prowl works so much."

Hot Rod frowned. "Because he's a workaholic with a stick up his aft?"

"No. He doesn't want to remember."

Hot Rod looked down. "Y-yeah. Sounds about right. I guess I should have thought of that."

"She's not coming back is she?"

"No." Hot Rod felt his voice crack. "She's not."

"It doesn't feel right. She was always here. She always came running through that door yelling at me do something or other. It annoyed the scrap out of me, but I kind of miss it now. Her constant nagging."

Hot Rod chuckled. "Yeah."

Wildfire brought his servo up to his face. "I didn't think it would ever happen." He wiped his optics quickly. "This is the first time I cried. I- I"

Hot Rod quickly jumped off his berth, and wrapped Wildfire in a hug. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll nag you! I'll nag at you all you want! Dirty up this room! Go to the wash rack and clean behind your audials! Stop working so slagging much! Talk to me more!" Hot Rod let out a sob. "I'll run through that door every day. Okay, I'll knock first because I don't have medical over ride codes, but it'll be even better than what Trapjaw could ever do!"

Wildfire snorted. "Yeah. We'll make do."

* * *

Marshall stood in front of the slender silver seeker. The Seeker was already sneering at him. It's not like he said something wrong or anything! He just pointed out that his heels looked nice!

"What the frag do you want, Autoscum?"

"I'm, well, I'm not an Autobot! I want to be a Decepticon!" Marshall looked down. "I'm not very welcome with the Autobots.

The silver mech smirked. "Really? Well, the Autobots have never been a very welcoming group. Why don't you come with me? I am Starscream."

"Marshall." Marshall nodded to Starscream. "I can't really fly, is tha-"

"No worries." Starscream laughed. "Just follow me."

Marshall smiled. "Of course!"

* * *

Shadow Stalker slowly walked down the halls. Optimus was making her apologize for whatever she did to Marshall. She didn't do Scrap to that idiot. She stomped into the Med Bay, and looked around. "Ratchet!"

"What?" Ratchet yelled from around the corner.

"Where the frag is Marshall?"

"He already left to meet you! Almost a joor ago!"

Shadow Shook her helm. "We already had our meeting. He left. Know where he might have gone?"

Ratchet walked around the corner, and gave the femme a strange look. "He doesn't really hang out anywhere but here."

Shadow Stalker glared as she began stomping out of the room. "That FRAGGER!"

"What?" Ratchet stepped forward. "What did you do to him?"

"I didn't do slag! He was going on about how it was choice for what side you were on! Then he started on how he was Decepticon made!"

"Let me guess. You went all haywire on him, and started yelling about how he doesn't have a choice! Yes, that's how you keep a mech around! Tell him he's a prisoner in his own faction!"

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm, Ratchet."

* * *

Marshall looked around the halls as he followed Starscream around. "Lord Megatron would welcome you himself, but he's very busy."

"I understand." Marshall nodded. "He must be very busy."

"Ohh, yes he is." Starscream chuckled. "You will be a very important part of our army. You seem very strong. What were you in the Autobots?"

"I was just brought online, sir. I did not yet have a function."

"What?" Starscream glared at the mech. "You mean you're useless!"

"No! I have a very good attention span, I can do monitor duty, if you wanted. I can do anything you need!"

Starscream sneared. "Fine. I'll put you on monitor duty. Don't screw up." Starscream growled.

* * *

Marshall watched the monitors intently as they buzzed in and out. He kept his optics on the screens. It didn't matter what sound he heard. He wouldn't. Stop. Watchi- Marshall quickly turned when he heard humming.

A green femme sat crouch in the corner hooking wires into different parts of of a small cube type thing. "Wh-"

The femme turned. "I'm Covenant." She gave Marshall a smile before she turned back to work. She continued humming as she continued working. "You don't make a very good Decepticon."

"Do- Do I know you?"

"Hmm? We spoke in the hall. I know you."

Marshall frowned. "You are the femme, Ratchet was upset about."

Covenant stood up. "Yes. I'd get out of here if I were you." Covenant smirked. "I'm gonna burn this fragger down."

"Wh-what?"

It was too late to argue as Covenant grabbed Marshall's servo, and began running. She smiled as she released his servo, and did a little spin. "Time to start counting!"

"Counting what?"

"9."

"What are we counting?"

"8."

"Why are we running?"

"7."

"I don't understand!"

"6."

"I'm a Decepticon!"

"5." Covenant giggled as the exit began to come up fast. "4."

"Please just tell me what's going on!"

"3!"

The two ran out of the building, but Covenant didn't stop. She grabbed ahold of Marshall's servo again, and continued runing. "2!" Marshall glanced back at the base.

"I should really ge-"

"1!"

Marshall let out a squeak as the whole base he once was inside blew up. He watched as the femme tugged him ahead. Pieces of metal fell to the ground. He watched as Starscream flew out.

Marshall could already tell his days as a Decepticon were over.

* * *

**A/N: All mistakes in this chapter are mine. Fighter did not get a chance to look over it, so it's not her fragging around with me.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I know. Updates are kind of slow, but in my defense, I am working on seven different stories right now. (More than that if you count the ones I haven't uploaded. I don't though.) It's actually about to be five. I'm deleting two, because they were the ones that I was crushed the most on when my computer crashed and lost all of the files I had pre-written on. They will be re-uploaded after I get my groove back on them. If I get my groove back on them.**

**This is short cause there is a strange bug on my keyboard, and I'm scared...**

**REVIEWS**

**Autobotschic: XD Covenant's gonna beat somebody. XD Not really! -passes you high grade- There you go. Wait. -takes cube back- You're underage. You can't have that. Wait. I'm underage. I can't have this! -dumps cube on ground.- I'm sure the Earth isn't underage...**

**Autobot Trapjaw: XD I hated Algebra. I hate Calculus like ten times more though. NEVER take calculus. Pre-cal is okay, but CALCULUS WAS MADE BY UNICRON! He made it so he could pick out the very few smart people who could do it, and then kill the rest.**

* * *

Marshall stood awkwardly as the green and black femme glared at him while leaning against her desk. The only think keeping her from attacking him was the huge red and blue mech standing between them. Marshall shifted as Optimus stepped forward. He felt the disappointment roll off the mech. Shadow stalker pushed herself off her desk, and sent a growl to Marshall.

Optimus brought his servo up to signal for Shadow Stalker to back down. She sent a growl, but went back to her position against her desk. Optimus sighed as he turned his attention back to Marshall. "Marshall, you are not in trouble."

"The frag he isn't."

Optimus sighed, but continued. "Marshall, you are an Autobot."

Marshall glanced down. "How do you know?" He shifted again as he began playing with his servos. "How do you know I'm not a Decepticon?"

Optimus placed a servo on Marshall's shoulder. "Because, you're not. Did you once feel you belonged in that Decepticon base? At all?"

Marshall frowned. "No."

"See?"

"But I don't feel like I belong here either."

Optimus glanced down. "If you are referring to not working, and spending most of your time in the Medical bay, that is because you are still recuperating. You just came online, and it is important for you to understand how things work around here." Optimus sighed. "When you are at the top of your abilities, you will be able to be fully integrated into the ranks. You'll be able to tryout different sections or divisions until you find the one you like."

Marshall's helm fell to the side. "I don't understand."

"You're going to choose where you belong." Optimus passed him a data pad. "These are all the divisions we have. Choose one, and we'll set up you trial period."

Marshall gripped the data pad in her servo, and stared at it. "I see. I- Thank you."

Optimus nodded. "You may go."

Marshall ran out of the room, quick to exit the most awkward situation he had ever lived through.

Shadow Stalker stayed silent as her office door closed. Optimus turned to the femme. "I trusted you not to force anything on him."

Shadow stalker glared at her bonded. "So it's all my fault now?"

"No, but you certainly did not help."

Shadow Stalker growled. "You are blaming me! I can't be-"

"Trapjaw is offline." As soon as the sentence left Optimus's lip components the room went cold. The obvious statement made Shadow Stalker glare and growl. Optimus shook his helm. "Marshall is not Trapjaw, and you cannot try to force him to be like Trapjaw. Shadow, You cannot hold Marshall to the same standards you held Trapjaw to. They are different beings with different personalities. The only thing they have in common is music, and a Spark's Core."

Shadow Stalker turned away from Optimus. I can't _stand_ him! I hate him. The only reason he gets to _live_ is because Trapjaw had to _die_!"

Optimus frowned "You know that's not true."

"It is to me." Shadow Stalker shook her helm. "He wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her! He wouldn't."

* * *

Marshall sat on the medical berth, and looked through the data pad. Ratchet glanced over to him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to decide which division to try out first. Do you know which division that femme was on?"

"Which femme?" Ratchet grabbed some dirty tools off a tray, and threw them into a huge bucket.

"The green one. She was so cool."

"Shadow Stalker?"

"No!" Marshall's optics went wide. "She kinda scares me. I was talking about the one who is all green. Well, different shades, but she-"

"Covenant?"

"Maybe. I didn't get a designation."

"She's special ops, infiltration, and espionage." Ratchet pulled out a rag, and began cleaning off a tool tray. "It's best not to get involved with her."

Marshall frowned. "Why not?"

Ratchet sighed as he put down the huge bucket of tools, and threw the rag down on the tray he was cleaning. "Because she isn't all there."

"She's stupid?"

"No, insane. She has a few bolts loose in her helm. From some of the reports on her I've read, she's on the same level of insanity as some of the Decepticons."

Marshall frowned. "She was kind of nice to me."

Ratchet sighed. "Did she once ask you for your name?"

"No." Marshall answered, disappointment in his voice. "She didn't."

"Want to know why?"

"I guess."

"She doesn't like getting to know people. Prowl thinks it's because she ends up killing them. Ironhide thinks it's because she has some sort of problem with Autobots, and doesn't want to know us at all. I think it's because of something else. I just don't know what."

Marshall frowned. His optics dimmed a little. "Is she... Has she ever killed anybody?"

"You watched her blow up that base. Three other Autobots were inside, none of them came out. Except you."

"She pulled me out!"

Ratchet nodded. "You're lucky she didn't leave you there too."

Marshall nodded. "Where is she now."

"Prowl is talking to her. She'll end up in the brig, and she'll escape the brig. Disappear for a couple of weeks and then show up again. It's a regular thing. Maybe not the offlining three other Autobots, but blowing scrap up is."

Marshall nodded. "I wouldn't mind getting to know her."

"Nobody really knows her." Ratchet stood up off the berth, and picked back up his bucket of tools. "I don't even know her, and I'm her physician!"

Marshall nodded as Ratchet picked up his rag. "If First Aid comes in, tell him that bucket of tools needs to be cleaned A.S.A.P. No excuses. I have to go give this slagging report to Prowl."

Marshall nodded. "Alright."

* * *

Marshall peeked inside the Recreation room. Ironhide was in the corner, glaring. That was not good. Marshall stepped inside, and walked up to Ironhide. "I -"

"Shut up. I get it. Optimus already talked to me, and from now on, you're under me. I'm going to teach you why the Decepticons are the worst slagging choice for you to have ever made. Meet me in the training rooms tomorrow. If you're not there I'll hunt you down."

"I don't where the training rooms are!"

"Then find 'em." Ironhide stood up, and stomped out of the room.

Marshall frowned. "Aw man."

"Ironhide's a nice guy."

Marshall turned to the couch. An Orange and red mech sat on the couch. "I, uh-"

"I'm Hot Rod." The mech turned back to the television. "Ironhide is just upset. It's been that time of his life, you know?"

"Somebody has told me that before. He said that Ironhide was going through some things."

Hot Rod nodded. "A lot of us are. Ironhide, Ratchet, Shadow Stalker; Pretty much everybody. We lost somebody in a battle. She was a medic. Worked with Ratch."

"Ratchet?"

Hot Rod smiled over to Marshall. He motioned to the place next to him. "Sit." Marshall walked over to the couch and sat down uncertainly. Hot Rod chuckled. "Don't worry about it. What's your name?"

"Marshall."

A sad smile came over Hot Rod's face. "Really? Wow. You know, I think we'll be friends."

Marshall's helm fell to the side. "I don't have any friends."

Hot Rod frowned. "Well, my mech, you do now."

Marshall smiled. "What do friends do?"

Hot Rod laughed. "Well for one, they talk to each other. I have to go, I have a shift with Prowl. He's a hard aft."

Marshall smiled. "Alright! Goodbye... friend."

Hot Rod patted Marshall's shoulder. "See ya, Buddy."


	8. Cold Wind Blows

**A/N: Updates will probably slow up from how unbearably slow they already are. I'm going to try and work on this as much as I can, but I'm starting my first job, EVER tomorrow at 4 Am, so there's nothing I can really do. My bro got me the job, so I have to do good.**

**ON THE PLUS SIDE I FINALLY SAW IRON MAN 3! IT WAS AWESOME!**

**REVIEWS**

**Autobotschic: Oh, she will, eventually. XD Yes, the high grade!**

**Autobot Trapjaw: I felt it was time to give Marshall a friend. XD I'm glad! Pease, pester away! It helps! XD**

**Zrexheartz: Hot Rod is awesome. XD Just saying.**

* * *

Marshall smiled at Optimus as the huge bot led him through the halls of the Autobot base. Optimus led him down corridor after corridor until the two came up to a huge set of doors. "Ironhide is inside. He will be teaching you the basics of shooting, and self-defense." Optimus sighed. "If he gives you a hard time, please tell me."

Marshall smiled. "Of course. I don't think he will though! Hot Rod, my new friend, told me that Ironhide is just going through some stuff."

Optimus nodded. "I see. That was kind of Hot Rod to tell you that."

Marshall laughed. "It was!" Marshall opened the huge door, and walked through with Optimus behind him. "I think we'll get along great! He's really nice!"

Optimus smiled. "Hot Rod is one of the nicest bots I know. If not a little rash."

Marshall nodded. "Everybody is a little rash, I think anyways."

Optimus nodded. "Yes, they are."

A big black mech rounded the corner, a smaller green femme right behind him. The femme nodded to Optimus and Marshall. "I was just dropping some stuff off."

Marshall's optics brightened. "You're the femme! Covenant, right?"

The femme frowned. "Yeah."

"I'm Ma-"

"I'd rather not know." Covenant answered. "Optimus." She nodded.

Optimus nodded back, giving a concerned look to Marshall. "Covenant. Perhaps you should get acquainted with Ma-"

"No." Covenant answered. "like I said. I was just dropping some stuff off. See ya." She waved Optimus off, and walked out the door.

Marshall quickly tried to catch up with her, but a huge black servo held him back. "You're with me."

Marshall glanced up to Ironhide and frowned. "I just wanted to talk to her."

"You don't have time for that. We have enough to do today. Find you a weapon. Test your aiming. Make sure you know how to fire a slagging gun." Ironhide grunted. "Wouldn't be surprised if ya couldn't."

Marshall frowned. "Can I talk to Covenant afterwards?"

Optimus frowned. "It would be a miracle if you could find her. I'm sorry, Marshall."

Marshall sighed. "It's alright. I'm sure I'll see her again!"

* * *

Shadow Stalker flung herself down on the recreation room's couch, right next to Sideswipe. She watched as the younger gladiator played a human game. She sighed as the screen popped up with an option to respawn.

Sideswipe glanced over to her, and pressed the button to restart the level he was on. After a moment of playing he threw the controller down. "Frag it, femme! I know that look! Every time you have a problem, you run to me! What?"

Shadow Stalker glared at Sideswipe. "I don't have a slagging problem."

Sideswipe measured Shadow Stalker up. "No, you do. You have that look. It says, 'I'm fragged off, and I want to to talk to somebody, but I'm a hateful bot so nobody wants to listen.'"

"You would know, wouldn't you?" Shadow Stalker glared at him. "I hate you."

Sideswipe laughed. "Yup. So, what's wrong?"

"That new slagging bot."

Sideswipe glanced up at the ceiling and rolled his optics. "Marshall, right? I haven't met him yet, but I hear things about him."

"Then you've heard that he has Trapjaw's Spark's Core?"

Sideswipe raised an optic ridge, and sat down. "Didn't hear about that. Who all knows that little bit of information?"

Shadow Stalker rolled her optics. "Only the higher ranking officers."

"Hot Rod and Wildfire doesn't know?"

Shadow Stalker shook her helm. "No. I want to keep it that way too!"

Sideswipe frowned. "That's not what I would have though you would say. I thought you would say something like, 'I hope the world finds out so his life becomes a living pit!' Or something like that."

Shadow Stalker huffed. "Shut the frag up."

Sideswipe picked up his controller, and began playing his game again. "Whatever."

"I hate the slagging mech, but I want him to stay an Autobot. No part of Trapjaw is leaving my base, ever."

"Optimus's base."

"I'm his bond mate. It belongs to me too."

"Did you sign a prenup?"

"A what?"

Sideswipe huffed. "Forget it. You're no fun."

"Stop whinning you fat bastard."

Sideswipe paused his game and turned to Shadow Stalker. "Using human insults now?"

* * *

Marshall groaned as his joints refused to move. "Ow." He checked in Chronometer, and groaned again. Ironhide had kept him for pretty much the whole fragging day. He looked to left, and sighed as he turned and walked into the rec room.

To Marshall's surprise, the Recreation room was empty. The television glowed with a picture of the word, "HALO 4". Marshall sat down, and his helm fell to the side. "Halo? What's that?" He jumped when the screen flashed to a page that said, "Press start".

Marshall glanced around and spotted a huge white controller on the couch beside him. He picked it up, and frowned. "Like this?" He pressed a button with a sideways triangle on it, and jumped as the screen changed again.

* * *

Hot Rod slowly walked down the hall to the Recreation room. He had finished his monitor duty for the week, and he was looking forward to whatever Blaster had planned. Anything that would keep him distracted was perfect. He jumped when a green set of legs fell through one of the ventilation shafts. Following soon after came the rest of the frame.

The green femme landed with a soft thump, and stood up straight. "I apologize."

"Yeah, Optimus told me."

The femme nodded. "I'm just making sure. I am sorry for your loss as well."

Hot Rod frowned. "What would you know about loss, Covenant?" Hot Rod glared at the femme, his voice remaining level. "You leave mechs behind to face their death rather than helping them. You don't know anything about fragging loss."

Covenant stared at Hot Rod with a serious face. "No, I suppose I don't. I shouldn't have said anything."

Hot Rod groaned. "Covenant, I didn'-"

"You're right. I don't know anything about loss. I'm just cold sparkless bot." Covenant turned away from Hot Rod, and walked away.

Hot Rod sighed as he leaned up agianst a wall. "Frag."

"TAKE THAT NOOB!"

Hot Rod jumped away from the wall and stared down the hall in surprise. "What the frag?" His optics narrowed as he walked down the hall looking for whoever was screaming. He stepped into the doorway of the rec room, and raised an optic ridge.

Hot Rod's dear friend, Marshall, sat on the edge of the couch playing Halo 4.

"THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT! CAN'T TAKE THE MARSHALL CAN YOU?"

"Marshall?"

Marshall went ridgid as he slowly turned towards he door. When he spotted who it was, his nervous expression turned to excitement. "Hot Rod! Have you ever done this?"

Hot Rod frowned. "Play a video game? Yeah."

Marshall's optics twinkled. "Video game? Is that what this is called?"

Hot Rod chuckled. "It's a video game called Halo 4. There are other ones like it. You have to play them all to really get what's going on."

"I know what's going on!" Marshall smiled. "You see, the guy I'm playing as is called Master Chief, and he's pretty much the best Spartan, like ever! He's helping the human's fight the Covenant, not the femme, but some kind of alien alliance. In this game he's trying to save his AI, Cortana! IT IS SO COOL!"

Hot Rod stared at Marshall in amazement. "You- Tha- Wow."

Marshall smiled. "This game is so much fun!"

* * *

Shadow Stalker sat in her office and glared at the picture of Megatron she had across from her desk. He grabbed an energon dagger from her drawer, and chunked it straight at the picture. The blade sunk into the gray mech's face.

Shadow Stalker jumped as her door flew open, and a green femme stomped in. The door swished closed, and the femme sat down on one of the chairs Shadow Stalker had. "May I help you, Covenant?"

"Am I such a sparkless glitch that bots can just go around, and stomp all over me?"

Shadow Stalker stared at the femme, and looked around awkwardly. "Um."

"That's what bots seem to think! It pisses me off! I jus-"

"Are you in the right office?" Shadow Stalker looked around. "I think you might have the wrong one."

Covenant stared at Shadow Stalker and sighed. "Sorry. You're the last bot I'm partially close to."

Shadow Stalker sat down at her desk and nodded. "I see." She sighed. "It could be that you're creepy. Climbing around the vents all the time. It seems strange. You're never talking to anybody, so it adds a little mystery. Mystery isn't always good, and people start filling in the blanks with their own stories. Some of them think you're a spark eater."

Covenant frowned. "Spark Eater? Really?"

Shadow Stalker shrugged. "It doesn't help that I told them that."

Covenant groaned. "I hate bots."

Shadow Stalker frowned. "Why don't you just make friends with them?"

Covenant looked at Shadow Stalker with a snort. "Same reason you don't like making new friends. They always leave you in the most painful ways."

Shadow Stalker frowned. "Yeah..."

"I just... I get how you all felt about Trapjaw. I know the significance of her…passing." Covenant stared down at the ground. "I know how much it hurts."

Shadow Stalker nodded solemnly with the mention of Trapjaw. "I know."

"Hot Rod, and everybody else, don't get that. To them, I'm a sparkless monster. I don't mind that they think that, it makes life a lot easier, but they don't have take all their frustration out on me."

Shadow Stalker sighed. "You're like this because of him, ya know."

Covenant's optics narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"You're like this because of T-"

Covenant's fists slammed against the desk, her optics flashed with rage. "DON'T YOU DARE SAY HIS DESIGNATION!"

Shadow Stalker snorted, her point proven. "Fine."

Covenant pushed away from the desk. "Sorry."

Shadow Stalker shrugged. "You have to get over it. Just like I have to get over Trapjaw. I don't want to, ya know? I have to. You have to get over him and move on with your life. You might find somebody else new."

Covenant looked away, a huge frown on her face. "I doubt that." She muttered as she slowly stalked out of the room.


	9. Cinderella Man

**A/N: Short Chapter, I know. I'm sorry...**

**REVIEWS!**

**Autobot Trapjaw: XD I do too. Only, I don't really play online that much, so I'm just screaming at NPCs. Well, I'm not sure if I should take that as a threat to my life or not... XD**

**Autobotschic: XD just don't pee yourself. I'd hate to have to be the one who made you do that. I would brag about it, but I'd hate it. Yes, yes she did, though, I'd refrain from calling her Cove. XD**

**Zrexheartz: XD Everybody loves Halo. **

* * *

Marshall sighed as walked out of the base to outside. The sky was dark and the stars twinkled above him. He had made it a habit to come outside at night. Since he started playing "Video Games" he

noticed that the slight breezes had helped cool his systems down from their over heated states.

Marshall smiled as he walked to one of the cliffs surrounding the base. He jumped slightly when he noticed a certain dark green femme sitting at the edge of the cliff. "Covenant?" He mumbled to himself, his helm falling to the side.

Covenants knees were tucked up against her chassis, and her chin was resting on top of them. Marshall silently stepped forward, trying not to alert the femme, which he failed at.

"What?" The femme glared back.

"OH!" Marshall jumped, but quickly composed himself. "Are you, uh looking at the stars. They are quite pretty. I like looking at them sometimes. I find them... relaxing."

Covenant frowned as she turned her helm back away from the big red and black mech. "I do not really care for the stars."

Marshall frowned as he began pushing the dirt around with his pede. "Oh. I um. I'm Mar-"

"I know who you are." Covenant interrupted. "I don't really care."

Marshall felt a slight stab at the femme's growled remark. "Oh." Silence reighned over the two. Marshall continued standing behind Covenant as she stared straight ahead over the land in front of the cliff.

Finally Covenant growled. "What do you want?"

Marshall gulped as he backed up. "I just... Well I wanted to get to know you."

Covenant quickly stood up. "Well, forget about it. I don't want to get to know you."

Marshall looked down at the ground. "Bu- I just, I don't have a lot of friends, so I thought you... Well, you don't have a lot of friends either so, I thought it would-"

"I don't have friends because I don't want them. I don't need them."

Marshall frowned. "But-"

Covenant quickly turned to face the huge mech. "Forget it!"

Marshall's face went from a frown to pure determination. "No! I want to be your friend! Everybody needs a friend! Hot Rod is my friend, and you'll be my friend too!"

Covenant stared at Marshall in shock. His outburst surprising to both of them. Covenant's surprise quickly turned to a glare. "Don't tell me what to do! I don't need a friend!"

"My favorite color is red! I love a thing called video games, and my dream is to find a place where I fit in with the Autobots!"

"What?"

Marshall smiled. "Hot Rod says that friends share information like that with one another. What about you?"

Covenant frowned as she turned away. She was silent for so long that Marshall was beginning to worry that she was just going to ignore his question.

"Green. My favorite color is green. I love being alone, but occasional company isn't so bad. My dream? I do- I don't think I have one. Not yet anyways."

Marshall's face grew a huge grin. "Green is a cool color, but it doesn't compare to red!"

"What the frag? Green is the best color." Covenant shot back.

Marshall smirked. "Nope. Red."

"Green."

"We can argue all you want, but Red is definitely the best color in the whole universe."

"How would you know? You haven't seen the universe. You were only brought online like a month ago."

Marshall frowned. "You're right. I'm going to add that to my dream list. See the Universe."

Covenant slowly sat back down on the ground. "It's not that great."

Marshall threw himself on the ground next to Covenant. "Naw! I'm sure it's wonderful. Why don't you like people?"

"Who said I didn't like them?"

"You like being alone, so-"

"I like people. I enjoy watching them from a distance. I don't like getting know people." Covenant frowned. "They don't like getting to know me either. I like it that way. Keeping my distance."

"Why?" Marshall stared over at Covenant with curiosity. "It doesn't make sense."

"How would you feel if Hot Rod were to offline?"

Marshall frowned. "Bad. I wouldn't like it. I guess I would be really, really, really sad."

"It hurts when somebody you're close to offlines. I don't want to feel like that." Covenant growled. "I'm leaving!" She quickly stood up and ran off.

"Wait! Covenant!" Marshall frowned. "Man, she runs fast."

* * *

Marshall sighed as he walked down the hall. "I just wanted to get to know her."

"Who?"

Marshall jumped at the sudden voice. He quickly turned and sighed when he spotted the orange mech. "Hot Rod."

Hot Rod snorted. "I'm not a she."

"Huh? Oh! I was talking to myself. I was just outside, and I met Covenant. I just wanted to get to know her, but she..." Marshall frowned at the expression on Hot Rod's face. He looked upset. "What? Is something wrong?"

Hot Rod looked away. "It would be best if you stayed away from Covenant."

Marshall just stared at Hot Rod. "I don't... I just-" Marshall shook his helm. "I want to be her friend."

Hot Rod snorted. "She's not somebody who wants to be friends with anybody! If you ask me, she's a Decepticon in Autobot armor."

"I didn't ask you." Marshall was surprised by his own words, but kept going. "I don't care what you think. I want to be her friend. She's lonely, and I know it! I don't want anybody to be lonely!"

Hot Rod snorted. "She's not lonely! If she was lonely she would have gone out and found friends by now, but she doesn't care about anybody!"

"You don't know anything about her!" Marshall yelled. "You don't _anything_!"

Hot Rod clinched his fists. "I know more than enough! She's the reason I lost friends! It's because of her!"

Marshall glared. "No, it's not. I bet it's because you ran them off!" Marshall immediately regretted what he said. He regretted it even more when Hot Rod's face contorted into rage and his fist was reeled back. Marshall offlined his optics, waiting for the seering pain to come right after the audible _CLANG._

It didn't come.

He onlined his optics and jumped at the green femme who stood holding Hot Rod's fist. Covenant's blue optics were set in a glare as she gave a squeeze to the orange mech's fist. "Leave him alone."

Hot Rod glared as he ripped his fist out of Covenant's servo. "Why should I? It's obvious you already ate his wimpy spark."

Covenant snorted. "Yours is next if you keep this scrap up."

Marshall stared between the two as they stood ready for combat, exchanging silent insults through Comm. Links. "Guys." Marshall frowned as they ignored him. "Don't fight. I didn't mean it. I mean, I meant to defend Covenant, but I did-"

Covenant's fist reeled back faster than Marshall could follow. It collided with Hot Rod's face, and threw the mech back against the hall's wall. Hot Rod groaned as he sat up. "Glitch!"

At this point, the two brawling bots had gained attention. Marshall watched as Bots slowly started exiting different rooms. Most stopped before they could get in the way of the two.

Covenant's optics remained trained on Hot Rod as she stepped forward. "I'm the glitch?" She swung back her leg and unleashed a kick on the mech's abdomen. "How about you shut the frag up, and remember who started all this with Marshall? All he did was try to defend me, and look at you, getting all aft hurt about it."

"You don't even know Marshall. Just like he doesn't know you."

"His favorite color is red. He loves videogames. And his goal in life is to find a place among the Autobots where he belongs." Covenant recited. "I know Marshall."

"What is going on?"

Marshall jumped as the black and white mech pushed through the crowd. His doorwings were held high as seemed physically possible.

"P-Prowl?" Hot Rod looked utterly shocked. " We were jus-"

"We were in a physical disagreement. We were fighting."

Hot Rod glared at Covenant. "Shut up!"

"He tried to hit Marshall."

Prowl sighed. "Brig both of you. And Covenant. Try to refrain from breaking out."

Covenant quickly turned on her heel as she walked through the crowd. A green mech helped Hot Rod up as Prowl walked up to Marshall. "What happened?"

"I upset Hot Rod. I'm sorry. It's my fault."

Prowl frowned. "Follow Covenant, and Hot Rod to the brig. Inferno will place you in your cell."

Marshall nodded as he slowly walked after Covenant and Hot Rod.


	10. STAN

**A/N: I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY! I've had this written, and I never updated it! :,( My bad...**

**REVIEWS**

**Autobot Trapjaw: I have never heard of the term Brain-child before. XD It makes me giggle though. XD Hot Rod didn't mean to! He just got upset!**

**Autobotschic: Black is technically the absence of color, bro. XD I like it too though. Black and Red is the best mixture ever. My walls are black, and I had to sponge red paint over it it looks like sombebody just splattered blood everywhere. XD Covenant forgives you. XD**

* * *

Marshall sat on the floor behind the energon bars of his cell. His knees pulled up agianst his chest and his helm resting on this knees. He didn't mean to upset Hot Rod, and truthfully it kind of hurt his spark to think about it.

A sigh sounded from the cell across from his. Covenant was in there. Marshall didn't mean to get her in trouble either. "Covenant, I'm sorry."

"For what? I punched Hot Rod cause I wanted to. No other reason." Covenant leaned her helm back against the cell's wall. "You're the one that shouldn't be here. You shouldn't have told Prowl you started it. Bolts for brains started it."

"Shut up, Covenant. At least I can feel guilt."

Covenant ignored the orange and red mech's words.

Marshall groaned as the brig was filled with silence again. He wasn't one for silence. The Med-bay always had some sort of sound, it was comforting to him. "Covenant, do you really not have a dream? I mean everybody has a dream, right?" The brig remained silent for a while.

"Covenant is nothing but a spark eater. Her only dream is to watch the universe fall." Hot Rod growled.

"That's not true." Marshall mumbled.

"No, it's true." Covenant replied. "My only dream is to watch the universe fall."

Marshall stood up and walked over to his cell's energon bars. "But why? The universe is full of awesome stuff, like music! I love music! Oh, and Video games!"

Covenant huffed from her cell. "The universe is full of 'awesome stuff', sure, but it's cruel. It's awful. It deserves to die."

Marshall frowned. "But..." Marshall sighed. "The Universe is... I don't understand why you want it gone."

"What it gives, it takes away. Right, Hot Rod." Covenant glared over to the mech's cell.

Hot Rod growled. "Shut up! Don't you dare mention her! Don't even bring it up! You act like you understand everything! You think you're above every single one of us, but you're not yo-"

"I'm not better than dirt!" Covenant glared. "Right?"

Marshall backed up further inside his cell. He ignored the two as Hot Rod screamed at Covenant, and Covenant shot her own quiet responses.

"ENOUGH!"

Marshall jumped at the voice that echoed through the brig. The black green and gold femme walked down the stairs, and glared at the two.

"What is wrong with you two?" Shadow Stalker shook her helm. "Hot Rod, calm your fragging aft. Covenant, stop edging this slag on." Shadow Stalker walked up to Marshall's cell and powered down the energon bars. "Prowl wants to talk to you."

Marshall nodded as he quickly scurried out of the cell, leaving Shadow Stalker with the remaining two. "I'm the one who is supposed to be sent to the brig for fighting Allies, not you two."

Covenant and Hot Rod remained silent as Shadow Stalker paced in front of the two side by side cells. She paused in front of Hot Rod's cell. "I can't believe you. I know you're going through stuff, but attacking Marshall like that was uncalled for! Do you understand me?"

"Yes."

Shadow Stalker moved on to Covenant. "Does this have something to do with what we spoke about this morning. You know, T-"

"SHUT UP!" Covenant was standing in an instant. "It has nothing to do with that! Nothing at all! Marshall and I were getting aquanted this morning, and after I left, Hot Rod started a fight with Marshall! I was defending him! Nothing to do with anything. May I go now?"

Shadow Stalker shook her helm. "No, but Hot Rod can." Shadow Stalker hit the control panel,and Hot Rod's cell opened, letting him walk free. "I still have to talk to you. Get out, Hot Rod."

Hot Rod slowly walked out of the room, nothing but a loud bang signalled his exit.

Shadow Stalker turned back to Covenant. "Marshall can protect himself."

"He didn't deserve to get punched. How about you tell me why Hot Rod doesn't know that Trapjaw's spark's core is in Marshall's body?"

"He doesn't need to." Shadow Stalker glared. "Just like you didn't need to know."

"And Marshall doesn't need to know?"

"Since when did you decide Marshall is the greatest bot in the universe?"

"Marshall is not the greatest bot in the universe. The greatest bot in the universe is offline!" Covenant glared. "I just feel he has a right to know why so many bots look at him like he's some sort of monster!"

"They do not!" Shadow Stalker yelled.

"I watch them, Shadow Stalker. They stare at him like they do at me. Like he's something disgusting."

Shadow Stalker sighed. "He'll only get hurt by telling him."

"If you or Ratchet or somebody doesn't tell him, I will. I have no problem with the mech hating me." Covenant stood up, and kicked the wall of the cell. The energon bars powered down, and she walked right past Shadow Stalker. "I'm going off base."

"No, you're not."

"You certainly can't keep me here." Covenant retorted as she walked out of the brig.

Shadow Stalker sighed. "I hate having to be mature all the slagging time."

* * *

Ratchet sighed as Shadow Stalker walked into his Med bay. "I'm slagging fixing a fragging thing on your frame."

"I'm not here to be fixed."

"Then what the frag do you want from me?" Ratchet glared back at the femme from his chair at his desk.

"Covenant wants you to tell Marshall about his spark's Core."

Ratchet frowned. "Why?"

"She says that he deserves to know why people stare at him like a monster." Shadow Stalker slid herself onto a berth. "I don't agree, but she she said if you don't do it, then she will."

"Are you sure you weren't mentioned in there anywhere?" Ratchet glared.

"I was, but I'm not slagging doing it!"

Ratchet sighed. "He's going to find out sooner or later. Whether its from us, or Ironhide not being able to keep his slagging mouth shut. I'll see about it."

Shadow Stalker nodded. "That's all I ask."

OG

Marshall stood in front of the second in command of the Autobot armed forces. He felt nervous. "Marshall, I simply wish for you to explain what happened."

"Me and Hot Rod were arguing." Marshall shifted his pedes under his weight.

"About?"

"Covenant."

Prowl sighed. "What about Covenant upset the two of you? Did she do something?"

"Covenant? No! She's really nice! I- uh- I wanted to be her friend, but Hot Rod was talking bad about her. He said it was her fault that some of his friends weren't with him anymore, and I said that it was because he ran them off."

"And what happened after that?"

"He was going to punch me, but Covenant caught his fist in an awesome kind of move thing! I was cool you shou-" Marshall stopped as Prowl gave him a 'Don't get distracted' look. "Sorry. Anyways, they said some things, and then it went kind of silent, and Covenant punched Hot Rod, and well you know, they started fighting, then you showed up."

"I see." Prowl stood up from his desk. "You may go. Ratchet wishes to speak with you."

Marshall frowned. "He's not... upset... is he?"

Prowl looked stared at Marshall with a perplexed look. "I could not tell. Why?"

"I've seen him upset."

"Ah." Prowl nodded. "I promise his punishment for you will be swift."

Marshall frowned. He couldn't tell if the mech was messing with him or not. "Ye-yes, Sir." He slowly walked out of Prowl's office. He took small slow steps as he walked towards med bay. Ratchet was so going to be mad at him.

* * *

Marshall peeked into the Med bay, and slowly stepped in. He looked around and sighed when he didn't spot Ratchet.

"Sit your aft down."

Marshall jumped, and quickly sprinted to the nearest berth. Ratchet stood behind him a frown on his face, and a data pad held securely in his servo. "Ratchet, I didn't-"

"Whatever. Look at this and tell me if you recognize the femme?" He held the data pad out for Marshall to take.

Marshall grabbed the data pad, and stared at the femme that was staring back at him. Her blue optics glew with happiness, and her white frame shined with what looked like freshly applied wax. "She's really pretty."

"Do you recognize her?"

"Sorta. I've never seen her before though." Marshall continued staring at the picture. "She looks really happy. Do you know her?"

Ratchet ripped the data pad out of Marshall's servos. "I did." He turned the data pad off, and threw it to the side. "She offlined before you were brought online."

"So I don't recognize her? I feel like I do though." Marshall frowned as he fiddled with his servos. "I jus-"

"It's possible you do recognize her."

"But how?" Marshall frowned. "I've never met her!"

"Her designation is Trapjaw." Ratchet watched as Marshall's optics lit up.

"I know that name! I had a dream and Shadow Stalker was in it. Optimus Prime was in it, and you were too. You all kept calling me Trapjaw though. I didn't really understand."

"It was a memory." Ratchet held up his servo before Marshall could start asking questions. "Trapjaw was plauged with a rare disease, Fracaso. It's where the frame starts to white out, littrally, slowly the programming begins to be wiped out. She would have forgot who she was. Who everybody was. She wouldn't be able to remember how to move, or talk. Slowly her parts would forget how to work. There wouldn't have been anything wrong with them though. It's pretty much a glitch, more than it is a virus.

"Things she didn't want to forget would be saved in her sparks core. That would be the last thing to stop working. You have her spark's core. She donated all her parts and pieces that could be recycled after she offlined. You remember things like that because she saved them there. There is no wiping a spark's core." Ratchet finished.

"So, Everything I like and love, are because Trapjaw saved that she likes and loves them?" Marshall's face scrunched up in confusion. "My whole personality is because of me?"

"No." Ratchet answered. "Persoanality is in the processor's it develops with time. Those things that are saved in your spark's core, are all just influences."

Marshall's helm began to throb. "I don't get it! I decided on the name Marshall, because I love him, but it's not me hat loves him! It's that Trapjaw!"

"Marshall,-"

"I hate Trapjaw!" Marshall quickly jumped off the berth, and ran out of the room.

Ratchet sighed. ::Ratchet to Shadow Stalker::

::What?::

::I told him and he ran off::


	11. One Shot Two Shot

**A/N:It's rough... Don't judge.  
**

**REVIEWS**

**Autobot Trapjaw:Ahh, yes, he does... *Hides behind chair* Don't hurt me! It gets better...  
**

**Autobotschic:XD NOO! You can't take Marshall! You can't have him! He's in my story, so you can have him after he's done his part!  
*Glares at a fidgeting Marshall* Get back in my closet until I'm done with you.  
**

* * *

Marshall stared off over the cliff he and Covenant had decided to become friends at. He had always come here before that, but now he could just put a special place in his life to it. It had sentimental value to him now. Not that it mattered. It probably wasn't even him thinking. It was that Trapjaw.

He hated her. He couldn't stand her, and he's never even met the femme. That femme controlled his life. He only liked what he did because of that femme. It wasn't fair!

Marshall took a deep breath. Life wasn't fair though, was it? He had only been online for a little over two decaorns, and he had already learned that awful lesson. Life was never fair.

* * *

Shadow Stalker glared at the green femme. "He's gone. What are you gonna do about it, Covenant? Huh?"

Covenant leaned back in her chair. "Give him time. Let him get his thoughts together."

"He said he hated Trapjaw! The one bot who even cared about giving him life, and he hates her!" Shadow Stalker slammed her fists against her desk. "I'll kill him!"

Covenant rolled her optics. "Listen. I know you loved Trapjaw, and you still do." Covenant slowly stood up. "But, believe it or not, Marshall can have different feelings. I suppose you could compare it to Ironblazer and yourself. He controlled you. He morphed you into what you are. Who's to say that if Ironblazer wasn't there that you still would have been a gladiator?"

Shadow Stalker continued to glare. "That makes no sense!"

Covenant sighed. "Trapjaw saved things she loved in her sparks core. Those things are influencing Marshall. He resents her. That's all there is to it. Marshall doesn't want to go through his life thinking, 'Do I really like this, or is Trapjaw?' You get it?"

Shadow Stalker slowly sat down at her desk. "Yeah."

"Good. I'll be going now." Covenant climbed onto her chair.

"Try using the slagging door!" Shadow Stalker yelled, but it was too late. The green femme had already slipped into one of the vents. "Fragger."

* * *

Marshall watched the Earth's sun slowly set. The sky slowly burst into beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow. "Wow."

"Pretty, huh?"

Marshall jumped and quickly turned back. "Covenant!"

Covenant smiled, and sat down. "What are you doing?"

Marshall frowned. "Thinking."

Covenant nodded. "Yeah? About Trapjaw?"

"Yeah." Marshall sighed. "I just... I hate her."

"Resent." Covenant corrected. "You resent her."

"No, Hate."

Covenant sighed. "Believe me. You do not know hate. It is an emotion that you cannot control. It drives you to do things you cannot even imagine yourself doing in the worst of situations. Hate is not something you use lightly. You resent Trapjaw."

Marshall frowned as he stared at the femme. "Were you and Trapjaw close? Is that why I have such a fascination with you?"

"I had never spoke to Trapjaw in my life. I am close with her sister though."

"Sister?"

"Shadow Stalker."

"Oh." Marshall frowned. "I see. So I love you because of me?"

Covenant frowned as her helm snapped up. "L-love?"

Marshall jumped. "What? Scrap! No! I- meant like! I just got confused!" Marshall felt his face heat up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that!"

Covenant stared at Marshall, her optics went dull as she slowly glanced down and sighed. "Listen. If you plan to start getting feeling for me, stop it. Got it?"

"Maybe Trapjaw had a crush on you or something!" Marshall yelled.

"Trapjaw was bonded to Hot Rod. They have a youngling." Covenant shook her helm as she stood up. "Just don't start with that love scrap. I'm your friend. That's all I'm agreeing to."

"Why not? Why can't I like you if it's ME liking you!"

Covenant shook her helm. "Because. That's why. I'll see you later or sometime. Who knows? Just remember. You resent Trapjaw. You don't hate her."

Marshall frowned. "Wait!"

Covenant sighed. "What?"

"Why? Why can't I like you?"

Covenant cocked her helm back to the sky. "Forget it. Just don't. It won't be returned, and it'll hurt like frag. So just stop now. I'm going."

Marshall watched as the femme turned and walked away. He stared down at the ground. "The one thing that's not Trapjaw, and I can't do it."

* * *

Marshall slowly scuffled down the halls of the base. He watched as bots met each other, and talked happily. When the crowds started thinning, he knew he close to the Medical bay. Ratchet kept it nice and quiet there. Nobody was there that didn't belong.

Marshall sighed as he stopped seeing bots all together. A sign on the wall read: Medical Bay. Marshall stepped in quietly, and ignored the greeting First Aid sent across the room. He tried to ignore the gaze Ratchet was giving him, but he found it a bit difficult. "What?"

Ratchet shook his helm. "Nothing. I was just thinking of which wrench I should hit you with first if another disrespectful sound came out of your mouth."

Marshall frowned. "What does it matter? They'll all hurt the same."

Ratchet sighed. "Did you think about it?"

"Trapjaw?"

"Yeah."

"I- I don't hate her."

Ratchet nodded. "Good."

"I resent her." Marshall climbed onto his berth. "Covenant said there was a difference between the two."

Ratchet walked over to the mech. "You were talking to Covenant?"

"Why doesn't she want mechs to like like her?"

"Like like?" Ratchet raised an optic ridge. "I didn't know we were in youngling day care?"

"I accidentally told her that I loved her." Marshall frowned. "It just slipped out. It really seemed to upset her. I think she was about to cry."

Ratchet sighed. "I told you I don't know a thing about Covenant. I know she has all sorts of medical things wrong, and I know she doesn't like bots. That's about it."

"She said that she likes watching bots."

Ratchet nodded. "Yeah, whatever. Alright, here's the deal. I'm not telling you not to be friends with Covenant, I'm just going to say that you should be careful. She's like a time bomb. One wrong move, and she'll be all over you in a spark beat. Be careful alright?"

"Shadow Stalker knew her." Marshall shifted on his berth. "Covenant said so. She said that they were close."

"Are you planning on digging?"

"I was thinking about it."

"Well don't." Ratchet walked over to a cabinet and grabbed a green cube of energon. "Forget about it. If Covenant doesn't tell you herself, then you don't need to know."

"But-"

"No." Ratchet shoved the cube of energon into Marhshall's servo. "If you do it, I'll personally hunt you down. Do you understand? Covenant has a right to privacy."

Marshall opened the cube with a sigh. "Yeah, I get it."


	12. Talkin' 2 Myself

**A/N:Whoo! I am rolling in cash! (Not really. I have to pay it all back to my credit cards... :( ) Well, here's the next chapter, I'm not too fond of it, but I'm never really fond of anything, am I...  
**

**REVIEWS**

**Autobot Trapjaw: Hate is way worse! Resentment isn't as an intense emotion. It's more of an irritated kind of thing than a, "I'm gonna stab your face out." Kind of thing. XD I know! Such an ingrateful brat!  
**

**Autobotschic:*Le Gasp!* No! Marshall is not! (Shh. It's a secret.) Covenant's not very nice. XD Shadow Stalker has learned the ability of Self-restraint! *Insert Pokemon music here* Ratchet probably would make Marshall drunk, just to see what would happen. XD**

* * *

Marshall knew what Ratchet had told him. He shouldn't dig into Covenant's past. It wasn't his business. But he wanted to know. Marshall sighed as he stared at the door in front of him. Shadow Stalker's office. She was the only bot who knew about Covenant. She was also Trapjaw's sister.

Marshall knocked on the door and waited for permission to enter. Permission that never came. He quickly knocked on the door again. When nothing happened, he began his constant pounding. "Shadow Stalker!"

The door flung open, and the green, black and white femme stood with a scowl. "What?"

"If you were in there, why didn't you answer?"

"If nobody answered, why didn't you stop fragging knocking?" Shadow Stalker crossed her arms, and leaned against the door frame, blocking the view into her office. "Now, what do you want?"

Marshall shifted uncomfortably. "Can I, uh, come in?"

"No." Shadow Stalker glared. "What do you want?"

"I…wanted to know about Covenant."

Shadow Stalker's helm fell the side. "You're her friend. Shouldn't you know enough about her?"

"But I… I want to know more." Marshall sighed. "She said that…"

Shadow Stalker rolled her optics as she looked into her office. "Covenant, will you tell him to leave?"

Marshall jumped. "Covenant? Covenant's here?" A smile spread across his face. "Hey Covenant!"

Shadow Stalker glared at him. "Shut up. If you want information about Covenant, ask her yourself. She doesn't want to talk to anybody so leave."

Marshall frowned. "How do you know she doesn't want to talk to anybody?"

"Because she told me to ignore the knocking. Leave."

Marshall frowned. "Can I just tell her something?"

"No." Shadow Stalker growled.

"It'll be quick." Marshall promised.

Shadow Stalker glanced behind her with a raised optic ridge. She glanced back to Marshall and smiled. "No."

Marshall put a pout on his face. "Fine!" He huffed as crossed his arms. "I won't move from this spot until Covenant leaves that room!"

"HA!" Shadow Stalker snickered. "You think you'll be barricading her in my office? Are you stupid? She other ways of leaving!"

"I-" Marshall frowned. "I really just want to talk to her."

Shadow Stalker glanced back into her office. She sighed as she turned back to Marshall. "Covenant says no."

"That's why bots don't like her!" Marshall yelled. "She doesn't even try to explain herself! If somebody wants to get to know her better she runs and hides!"

Shadow Stalker glared at the mech. "Maybe you should shut your lip components before you don't have a friend anymore!" She quickly turned and the door swished closed behind her.

Marshall sighed as he sat down next to the door. "I'm not leaving!" He slowly brought his knees up to his chest, and rested his chin on them. After a second, the office door swished open again.

Covenant stared down at the mech. "What?"

Marshall quickly stood up. "I thought you didn't want to talk to me!"

"I don't." Covenant sighed. "Just get whatever you want to say out in the open now."

"I didn't really want to dig, but it was bothering me! I just wanted to know more about you cause, I really like you. That's really the only thing I know for sure is _me_. It's not Trapjaw. It's me! I jus-"

"How much do you like me?" Covenant stared at the mech, a hard expression on her face.

Marshall glanced down. "A lot. I just… I can't put it into words."

"Then show me. If you like me so much, without even knowing me so well, what would you do for me?"

Marshall's helm flew up to the femme. "Anything! I'd do anything for you!"

"Would you kill yourself? Would you? Would you end your life for me?"

Marshall stared at the femme. He glanced down. Would he? "Y-yes?"

"Then go get some help. That's not liking me, that's obsession." Covenant shook her helm. "It's an unhealthy obsession." She quickly turned and began walking away.

Marshall's servo shot out and gripped the green femme's arm. "No, wait! I… I only said what I thought you wanted to hear!" Covenant stared at the mech, waiting for more of an explanation. "I just… I don't know what I'd do for you."

Covenant shook her helm. "Then don't say stuff like that. Don't say you love me. Don't say you like me. We've barely talked." Covenant sighed. "You want to know about me? Fine. I'm a psycho path."

"No, you're not!"

"I am. On Cybertron I was put in punitive stasis for attempted murder." Covenant's hard gaze never lighted. "You wanna know something." A smirk crossed her face. "I'd still kill that mech. I'd kill him in an instant. I'd kill you in an instant. The only keeping from doing that, is a promise I made to the Prime. A promise I regret every orn of my life. I get to watch the mech I want to kill every orn. I _have_ to watch him. All because of a stupid promise I never should have made."

Marshall shook his helm. "I don't believe you!"

"You don't have to, but it makes you an idiot. Only idiots don't believe the truth." Covenant sighed. "If we're done here, I'm going back to talk to Shadow Stalker. Have a wonderful day."

Marshall frowned. "I don't care! I don't care what you've done! I still like you a lot!"

Covenant growled. "I'm going." She typed a message into the door's key pad, and without a word she quickly disappeared through the open door.

* * *

Marshall sat in the med bay with a sunken look. Ratchet tried to ignore it, but no matter what he did, that mech's stupid face just kept reminding him of Trapjaw's sad face. "What the frag is your issue?"

Marshall's helm snapped up. "I'm sorry!"

"I asked a question." Ratchet growled.

Marshall frowned. "Covenant said she was in Punitive stasis on Cybertron. I think she was just saying it to get rid of me."

Ratchet sighed as he shook his helm. "I told you not to dig."

"Was she?"

Ratchet glanced over to the mech. Marshall's face now had a pout on his face. Ratchet groaned. "She was."

"What for?"

"She was hunting down a member of the Autobot army. She was planning on terminating him." Ratchet sighed as he turned to his desk, picking up a data pad. "She also murdered 2 other mechs."

Marshall frowned. "You're lying."

Ratchet raised an optic ridge as he turned back to the huge red and black mech. "Why would I lie?"

"Sh-she couldn't have?"

"It's true. Towards the fall of Cybertron she was brought out of punitive stasis and offered a deal. If she helped us, and fought for the Autobots, without killing any other Autobots, she would be released and all charges would be dropped."

"I don't believe you."

Ratchet sighed. "Whatever."

* * *

Covenant rolled over to her back. She had been on Shadow Stalker's couch since the whole Marshall incident. "I hate life."

Shadow Stalker glanced up from her desk, and sighed. "Nobody told you to tell him anything."

"Nobody asked for your input."

"Nobody asked you to be a glitch."

"Nobody asked you to point out me being a glitch." Covenant smirked.

Shadow Stalker shook her helm. "What are you going to do about him? If he's anything like Trapjaw, he's not going to give up anytime soon."

Covenant frowned. "I'm hoping that was enough."

"Doubt it." Shadow Stalker leaned back in her chair. "Why don't you date the poor bot?"

Covenant sat up and glared at the femme. "Because I don't like him."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know what it's like to love somebody. I don't like him. How can I love him?"

"One word Ta-"

"SHUT UP!" Covenant yelled. She sighed. "I didn't not like him!"

Shadow Stalker raised an optic ridge. "Didn't not like him? Wow. From what I remember you told me a nice story of you hitting him with a severed arm."

Covenant glared at the femme. "I di- I- Shut up!"

Shadow Stalker burst out laughing. "Oh come on! You totally hated his guts!"

"Sorry not all of us have such a wonderful relationship like you and Optimus." Covenant sighed as a far off look spread over her face, a small smile reaching her features. "I really miss him."

Shadow Stalker frowned. "I imagine so."

Covenant shook her helm. "I'm going. Don't worry, I'll use the door this time."

Shadow Stalker laughed. "Good."


End file.
